Navigating the January overwhelm ......

So as we move further into January, people start feeling like they are caught in the slump that often January brings.

The high from the new year has settled and you’re feeling like everyone around you is setting these amazing goals or intentions and getting to it, and there you are trying to get through the day or just getting over the busy December you had, and the holidays are over and its all back to normal. Once you start feeling like this you figure there’s no point anyway because you never would have kept them up anyway, and the despondency sets in.

Firstly you are not alone, and it’s important if your in this place to firstly take a step back realise we are all different and maybe a different approach can be taken and you can start your year in a way that works for you, because at the end of the day thats all that’s important.

The first question to ask yourself is, are you someone what ever time of year it is if you set a goal or intention do you keep it up and follow through or do you always find it doesn’t work for you.

Initially identifying this will really help how you approach things.

The next thing is to ask yourself is what are the reason you’re doing this in the first place?

Whats the motivation and energy behind it?

Do you feel you should be doing it because everyone else is or its what someone suggested to you to and deep down you’re not feeling it.

Let me tell you this if the intention or energy behind something doesn’t really feel good to you, most probably you won’t follow through with it.

Lastly maybe you are setting goals that are too big or it’s something thats not in alignment with you. Now I’m all for big ideas and dreams, and truly believe people can achieve them but they must be in the right place and mindset for this.

Maybe you need to start small, and feel good about that, even if it seems so small it’s pointless it doesn’t matter.

But the bottom line is, maybe your life is so busy that when you’re setting these bigger ideas, its just too much and it doesn’t happen.

So starting small is a good foundation, and miracles can really come from building on the small things.

Some people find setting an intention a better way to approach things as goals feel a bit too much, but its working out what feels good to you.

Getting clear on the above will really help getting you get into a good starting place, if you do want to set something, but be realistic with yourself and kind about it, because once we do this, we take some of our power back and it’s in this place we can set a small goal or intention and achieve it and then move onto to bigger things.

Ultimately too, it may not be for you and the best thing you can do for yourself is to intend to be kinder to yourself, and choose to align your life with happiness and feeling good.

Getting into a good feeling place and realising you can take a softer approach to this goal/intention setting can be really helpful, it doesn’t need to have this hard feeling around it.

Make two lists, one of small ideas and the bigger dream list, it’s always good to have the dream list.

Go through this list getting clear how each one feels and if it’s something you really want.

Then maybe pick one or two things from the smaller list, if you do this all the time go to the bigger list as well.

Then get clear on your why, this is important.

Why do you want this?

How does it make you feel?

Next visualise it, some people may find this easier than others, but there’s no right way to do this, doing this regularly will get you into a good feeling place about what you want.

Write a small plan how you want to do this ( the how is important it gets things moving), enlist help if you need to with this, I know for instant if your chronically ill your goal maybe small but that extra help will really make all difference to make it possible.

Finding a friend or family member for accountability can be really helpful to.

Not getting attached to the outcome is really important because sometimes we hold on so tightly to something when it doesn’t turn out how we want, we feel disappointed or that we’ve failed, when ultimately it may well be that this wasn’t the right way for you at this point in time.

So as much as the vision is important, be open to how things turn out.

Make sure when you do achieve something you celebrate it no matter how small, and keep it written down or have a photo of it, as it’s something to reference back to, it’s always good on a low day to have that reminder.

Lastly, something I like doing is making a vision board, or book where I cut out pictures of things I want and key words of how I want to feel and stick them on this, and then I look at this on a regular basis, to help my vision. This is something that isn’t for everyone but it can be worth playing around with it, sometimes we can be very surprised when we try things.

I hope this is helpful and personally I think theres no right approach to this, its what feels good to you, and remembering you maybe in a place where just getting through the day is an achievement and thats ok!

Happy new year, I intend to all who are reading this, a good year ahead in whatever way this looks like to you.

All my love

Hannah X