Stepping into 2021 like a gladiator!

“We don’t grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges.” (Unknown)

On 1 January 2021, I awoke feeling like a gladiator. I had survived the roller coaster called 2020. And, armed with the lessons learnt from 2020, I had now stepped into 2021 with determination and a rewired mindset. Unlike the gladiator of the ancient Roman Empire who engaged in violent confrontations with men and wild animals, my fight during 2021 will be against my delimiting beliefs and the negative feedback from others. My fight will be to develop my self-confidence and step out in faith.

2020 forced me to make changes I had not planned to make and stretch my comfort zone. As a result, I accomplished things I never done or thought of doing prior to 2020. As I shared in my article, The lessons 2020 taught me, “I discovered hidden talents (e.g. graphic design) and unearthed hidden ones (e.g. writing poems and inspiration messages)”, with the end product being this website/blog, which was launched in November 2020. I am grateful for the invaluable assistance I received to create and launch it and for the positive feedback I have received since its publication.

As a serious adherent to the directive “tan a yuh yard!”, and working from home since March 2020, I had a lot of time on my hands. For those who know me, I was always busy going here and there, which means I did not spend much time at home. This additional time at home was spent in engaging in acts of self-care/self-love – exercising regularly, drinking more water, meditating, reflecting on my past successes and failures, creating inspirational messages and participating in a number of interesting personal development webinars/sessions (mainly via Zoom, YouTube and Facebook). Through these webinars/sessions (which I have continued to participate in since the start of 2021), I soaked up a wealth of knowledge. I have been exposed to how to handle conflicting situations, how to choose a career that matches my personality, how to feel and exude confidence, how to get unstuck and stretch my comfort zone, how to achieve success, how to attract abundance in my life… and a lot more.

My word and intentions for 2021

With my faith in God, the support of my wonderful family and friends and the wealth of knowledge from the personal development sessions I attended in 2020, the word that I will live into in 2021 will be Resilience.

As 2021 unfolds I will manifest resilience in my thoughts and actions. 2020 forced me to be more resilient than ever before and it is my intention to continue growing in this area. The list below is not an indication of how I am definitely living my daily life – some days I do better than other days at managing my emotions and being my best self. The list below is instead are an indication of how I will seek to live my life during 2021 and beyond.

Some signs that will show my resilience are:

§ I don’t get stuck on negative thoughts. I engage in activities that prevent me from getting worked up when faced with situations that may trigger negative thoughts.

§ I hold myself accountable.

§ I find the benefits from past challenges and failures and identify the lessons from past mistakes.

§ I am more self-aware. I emotionally distance myself from challenges to avoid being stuck in my negative emotions. I try to observe stressful situations from the perspective of an observer.

§ I accept my limits. I recognize my strengths as well as my weaknesses.

§ I don't compare myself to others. I stay in my own lane, progress at my own pace and strive each day to be better than I was before.

§ I find humour in ridiculous things. I ‘won’t take myself too seriously’, I will laugh at myself more.

§ I find the silver lining in difficult or sad situations.

§ I accept the things I cannot change and make changes where I can. I let go of that which is not worthy of my time and energy.

§ I take better care of myself.

Being more resilient will be instrumental in fulfilling my intentions for 2021 (see below). I am sharing my intentions rather than my goals because while goals are focused on the future, intentions are in the present moment. As I intend to make each moment count, my focus is on NOW. Of course, I still have goals that I am working towards; these intentions go along with my goals. These intentions are about my relationship with myself. They are about improving me, so I am better equipped to achieve my goals.

My eight intentions for 2021 are:

1. Improve my financial security. I will engage in wiser spending habits and monetize my skills to make additional income. I will save and invest most of the additional income that I earn to better secure my financial future. 2. Eat healthier and drink more water. I will eat more fruits and vegetables and foods rich in iron and fibre and ensure that I am adequately hydrated.

3. Explore Jamaica. I will visit places in Jamaica I have never been before and revisit places that I love. 4. Read/listen to more books. I will read and listen to more books (for entertainment and for personal growth and development). Since 2 January 2020, I am now a part of a book club and our target is to read at least 12 books this year.

5. Keep a Gratitude Journal. I had been making daily entries in a Gratitude Journal during 2020 and I will continue this practice. I have found making entries at the end of each day to be therapeutic. 6. Avoid cluttering my home. A cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind. And a cluttered mind is not conducive to productivity. Therefore, I will not allow papers and other items to pile up on my dining table and other areas of my home. I will regularly get rid of unwanted/useless items.

7. Give myself more compliments. I will engage in more positive-talk. I have placed positive affirmations in strategic places in my home so I consistently see them. I have also created an electronic list of positive affirmations and I have set a pop-up reminder to read them daily. (Thank you Kamala McWhinney, CEO and Founder of White Lotus Blooms for this brilliant idea.) 8. Relax more. I will laugh more, engage in more fun activities (alone and with friends) and I will not sweat the small stuff. I will let go of that which does not serve me and allow peace to abide within me. Now, I need you, my family and friends, to hold me accountable in carrying out these intentions. In return, I promise to share progress reports as the year unfolds.

Parting words

It won't be easy to live my intentions, however I am ready for the fight. I can overcome and I will overcome. I won’t be able to do it alone and I won’t be doing it alone. I will trust in God for his guidance and support and I know I will count on you (my family and friends) to cheer me on, to help to get up when I fall and to share your words and wisdoms.

2021, I am ready, bring it on!

What is (are) your words (s) for 2020? What are your intentions for 2021? Please share them and let us hold each other accountable.

Love, laughter and light!