Self care is not selfish and the year does not have to be new for you to self care…self care is all year.
Welcome to the year! Despite the challenges and things ravaging the world, you are here! Congratulations!
As the New Year rings in and with all that is still going on, if there is anything you would want to do this year, it is to self care. YES. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. Looking out on how this year could be better for you than the past year is crucial and there are two key ways to ensure this happens- especially if you desire to maintain your joy level and be in charge of your mental and social health. So what are these two important things to do whether or not the year is new or old?
1. Planning | Journaling; Setting Out Your Goals And Writing Them Down
Many individuals and couples decide at the start of a New year to set out vision and goals, things they would like to accomplish as the year unfolds. It is however good to be able to visualize these goals and keep track of all your to-dos and check them off as time passes. Some may say “I have a mental picture of what I want the year to look like”. Even though it is true this gives you an idea of the direction you are headed, it does not however, give you the ability to map things out clearly and articulately. So what are the real benefits of writing down your goals?
The Benefits of Writing Down Your Goals
| Accountability
I have personally done this for years with my own personal planner which helps me keep myself accountable -to me. It has also benefitted my marriage greatly. I can look back and see how much I have grown and things I have been able to achieve. Not only that, it helps me see how far or how close I am to where I plan or ought to be. Writing down your vision helps you gauge how you are doing. It is either you give yourself a pat on the back or you push yourself to do more.
| Trackable Progress
By documenting your plan as a couple, you not only know you are advancing in your goals but you can also see if the map you have laid out is actionable and achievable. When your progress is more visual and measurable you can see how close you are and be motivated to run with your vision to see that it is achieved. Below is a 5 year Planner that can help you with planning the future ahead with your spouse (or individually). You could decide to pick a year one at a time, lay out your goals or use it to map out your long term strategy for the next 5 years. It is totally up to you!
A 5 year Planner
| Organization
Writing things down helps you to be more organized. You can easily see things that work and things that don’t. This can help you know when to go back to the drawing board or continue with what works for you. This rule applies whether or not you are married.
| Clarity
Writing down your goals and breaking them down into actionable and sizeable chunks goes a long way in helping you have clarity. Every thing is laid bare and you are clear headed. It ensures that your thought process is well thought out and the means of going about achieving your vision is smart and attainable. This daily planner will help you visualize your goals, see what you are losing grounds on and help you strategize to make sure you meet up. As you crush your deadlines, you feel accomplished ready to take up the next task.
Anything you measure and see good results, you are motivated to do better.
| Time Management
Writing down your goals helps you manage your time. Time is the greatest asset you have. By journaling and planning, you have the opportunity to visualize and apportion your time doing the most important things. You can easily filter time wasters by making wise decisions in light of your past, present and possible future experiences. It helps you know exactly where you are, what to do and what you should jettison.
Journal & Planner
Related: 3 Questions To Ask To Increase Your Productivity
2. GRATITUDE
The second thing you have to do and do well as the year unfolds, is having a grateful heart both individually and and as a couple. Learning to keep the important things in life in focus is key to living a healthy life. Taking a look around and being thankful regardless of whether or not you are having a good day is a great skill and stress reliever if you are able to do it. Developing a daily attitude of gratitude is also one non- clinical way of dealing with depression and anxiety. Keep that blood pressure down by focusing on the right things.
As the new year begins, freely express your thoughts and have a therapeutic, relaxing, and stress free experience with a gratitude challenge taking into account the little joys of life that you’ve often times overlooked. A gratitude journal will help you take into account the number of things that positively impacted you or things that make you happy. Looking back down the line, journaling those moments will help you see and realize that the joy is in the little things.
A 90 Day Gratitude Journal
Are you ready to self care?
Happy New Year!
For great prints for your planners and journals, Canva. Do you prefer typing into your own PDFs than print outs? PDFpen. Have any questions? Please see our FAQs.
