202MORE
Firstly, may I wish you all a very Happy New Year, now, it is still within the time frame to wish anyone we meet good wishes for the year ahead, but I am choosing today the 5th of January as today is when my new year has begun.
Thanks to a heavy dose of flu (not quite man flu stage) prayers and lit candles were not needed, but regardless of that it was a knockout to be able to carry out all the "stuff" we all try to DO, hitting the ground running on the 1st.
Did I curse everyone out walking, running, in the gym fresh and raring to go, or did I accept it for what it was and take the time to listen to my body and reset, I chose the latter. Perhaps before I would have had major FOMO (fear of missing out) and thought everyone was getting ahead of me, which would add to feeling sorry for myself and contribute to self-loathing and frustration for hours and hours along with my inability to even look at the screen at everyone partaking in their activities.
So, I choose to put my phone away and let the virus take its course.
Scrolling down all the things I hoped for this year, things I would like to achieve or tackle, and realized that I was never going to do these things within the first 4 days of the year, or 40 days for that matter so putting pressure on myself with time would not help at all.
The main goal for me was a reflection on the year previous, the things I found that worked for me, the things that made me smile,
happy, and filled my energy levels up, so to do more of those was number one on the list.
Those of you who read this blog regularly will know each year I rename what we usually call it, for example, 2022 was 202you, putting the focus of that year onto you, and doing things on your terms when it comes to happiness, then 2023 was 202free, a way of embracing the freedom to choose the things that you always wanted to do or say to feel alive.
To this one of 202MORE, do more of the things we love, more laughter, more time with friends and family but also more boundaries to those who do not fill our cups, more compassion towards ourselves when we need it, and more kindness to all too.
More adventure, more play time, more trying new things and getting out of the comfort zone we may have been stuck in for so long, more time outdoors, breathing fresh air, and being around nature as the seasons change is medicine in itself and it's free.
More communication, such as more phone calls or video calls instead of texts that can be misread and impersonal, more road trips, and also more appreciation for what we have, and finally to be more present in each moment that we encounter.
I will be doing a lot more of all of the above, and also more podcasting, with season two already plans being put in place, with some amazing guests already lined up. Mics have been ordered, and a video tripod to perhaps bring them in video format.
This follows on to a silly thing I said I would do, more videoing, capturing moments as they happen to be able to document them in reels for memories.
Attend more workshops and retreats, and also hold some of my own, where like-minded people can come and meet, share, and make new friends who have similar interests to theirs, that perhaps their group of friends do not share.
It has been said to me many times regarding last year and what I had achieved, all the things accomplished, which I am internally grateful for, but to be more transparent, all of that happened within five months, what they did not see, is 7months of study, hours in front of the laptop, being a full-on student, zero social life, struggling to pay for college fees, and life in general, the fear and worry every day if I would get the results I had committed 4 years of my life to, the constant negative what if? questions, the inner critic, and imposter syndrome shouting in my ear.
But the belief in myself and passion for what I do made it all worthwhile, the moments in meeting strangers in a cafe and the support they gave me pushed me to see the bigger picture, and allowed me to focus on taking each day as it came and trust that the hard work and sacrifices would be worth it and then it happened, what seemed a month after month of amazing things started to happen for me.
So, whether your new year has begun, or if your set of goals, dreams, and plans are down on paper or not, do not worry, it will happen when it's supposed to, and even if those around you seem to be "smashing" it, try not to let it deter you from starting yours.
And if you are still saying happy new year in February or March so be it, for our new start, our new beginning can start any day we choose.
As always, thanks for reading
Marcus.