Countdown to 2022 Success
Happy end of 2021! It may have been a super year of milestones met, or a challenging year that you are very happy to see in the rearview mirror. Whatever the case, it is time to look to the future of new possibilities.
Today, I am offering a quick list of some ideas to promote success that I shared throughout 2021. Here are 5 top practices to help you count down to personal success in the New Year.
#5: Reimagine Success
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
– Will Durant
I filled the book with practical, achievable methods to look at our goals in a new way while engaging all of our senses to attain them. Here are the 5 ‘reimagined’ senses and how you can incorporate them into your 2022 lifestyle.
Consider This:
- Observe: As you encounter a challenging situation or person observe closely, process, and admit to yourself that yours may not be the only perspective.
- Listen: Take the time to actively listen, develop a complete understanding of the other person’s viewpoint, and engage in a civil discussion to build on commonalities.
- Feel: Instead of hunting for happiness, let it come to you in the small joyful moments of each day. Embrace your full range of emotions (instead of burying any deemed negative) and accept your complete humanness.
- Engage: Healthy engagement helps develop meaning and understanding; it helps foster creativity through respectful dialogue.
- Appreciate: The simple acts of noticing the multitude of small blessings we encounter every day (and no matter how many challenges we have, there are always positive elements in our lives too) and of fully embracing (acknowledging, feeling) our gratitude could make a huge difference in happiness and health.
#4: Renew Your Relationship with Yourself
“If you are searching for that one person that will change your life, take a look in the mirror.”
– Unknown
It starts within us, doesn’t it? We spend a great deal of time trying to change our surrounding circumstances when the true work begins in our own heads and hearts.
So many of us go through life just having reactions instead of interactions. This happens because we all observe events and each other through our own personal filter. Internal filters color perspectives and feelings about what we experience. This is true for how we see ourselves as well.
Consider This:
- Make sure you are using the 5 Senses from my book to get in touch with yourself. Self-reflection is key (engaging with self). Fully observe and listen to your own thoughts, reactions, feelings. Contemplate where you have been successful to maximize on these areas; admit where you have been faltering and experiment with new ways to improve your situation. Most importantly, actively appreciate your many talents and strengths and refuse to partake in negative self-talk.
- Don’t go it alone. A person who asks for help displays confidence while establishing trust with self, (taking care of yourself is the best thing you can do for you and those you love), and others.
- Let go of pride; accept the totality of who you are – faults and contributions.
- Welcome input from others without fear of judgment. Aim to listen with an unbiased mind.
- View your mistakes and obstacles as a learning opportunity – not to mention a connecting opportunity.
- Take a pause to appreciate your unique skillsets and how you have shared them with others.
#3: Relate to Others
“The more social media we have, the more we think we’re connecting, yet we are really disconnecting from each other.”
– JR
Healthy relationships are the best indicator of success or failure. We are not alone on our life journeys and strong, trusting relationships will increase the odds that we will find the success we’re looking for. Virtually every goal we aim to achieve relies on partnership with others, so focusing on how we manage our interpersonal relationships is critical to our success.
If you find you have put your relationships with spouses, family members, co-workers on autopilot, now is the perfect time to look at them with new eyes and commit to more meaningful connections.
Consider This:
- Figuring out how to best approach another person involves an open mind, curiosity, embracing your emotions, and honest give and take.
- When you are uncertain about how an interaction is going, gather more information by asking open-ended questions and listening carefully to the answers.
- Remind yourself to actively listen to another’s viewpoint without interrupting. Then process what they said – before speaking.
- When unclear, be sure to ask specific, clarifying questions. When you think things are clear, paraphrase what you understand and ask if that is a correct understanding, to ensure you are “getting it.”
- Create space for mutual understanding, building on commonalities, and ultimate compromise.
#2: Reduce Your Stress
“Breath is the power behind all things … I breathe in and know that good things will happen.”
– Tao Porchon-Lynch
Two of my 2021 blogs, Handling the Extremes and Stress Less for Success gave insight into the pressures we face in today’s world and some key practices that can help us move into a more peaceful and productive place.
Imagine a world without stress; seems impossible doesn’t it? Actually, a world without stress may not be very safe. We have developed a stress response so we will react when something threatening happens. We actually learn from stressful times. Stress can also be an indicator there is an opportunity—an opportunity! —to improve things.
While it is true we cannot wish stress away, we can work to understand what is leading to the stress and manage it as best we can, so it does not fester and emerge as problems elsewhere in our lives down the road.
Consider This:
- Be aware of our ‘negativity bias’ and make a conscious effort to dwell more on the positive than the negative.
- Be kind to your authentic self by addressing – not suppressing – what causes you anxiety at home or at work.
- Take an ‘input break.’ Turn off television and radio, ignore social media, and shut down the phone.
- Breathe…slowly…deliberately…deeply.
- Heal yourself with meaningful (to you) music or books, physical activity or time with friends and family.
#1: Recharge from the Positive
“We All Rise by Lifting Others.”
– Robert Ingersoll
In drafting my book (and rewriting my direction in life) I became more aware of the power of appreciation. Embedded in my own journey of appreciating were the four other key senses: observing, listening, feeling, and engaging—all combining in a multi-sensory experience that changed my life forever.
During the month of Thanksgiving, I wrote about the power of gratitude and the healing effects it has on our own lives and the lives of others. It isn’t that we don’t recognize the good things we experience, but we often do not pause to truly feel it and share the good.
Consider This:
- Don’t miss the opportunity to tell someone how special they are.
- Look for the positive in difficult situations and find the lessons they provide.
- Absorb the positive energy others are emitting. Now give your own positive light to others.
- Make small, kind gestures when they are not anticipated.
- Give the gift of your time.
Bonus Tip: Retain What Serves You
“Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.”
– Denis Waitley
There are a lot of rituals people apply to the new year. One of those is the physical act of writing down what was good about the passing year, what was bad or painful about the year, and what those experiences taught you. Then, in a safe place, burn the good and the bad and take with you only the lessons.
Or you can simply find some quiet time to reflect or meditate on what you lived in this last year and identify what you really want to bring with you into 2022. One of my accountability partners recently suggested we identify what we appreciated about 2021 and then what we wanted to invite into 2022, which we did through our reflection and discussion. I loved that word “invite”—what do you want to invite into your new year?
I hope you will remember that I am in your corner. Please feel free to contact me at https://juligeskepeer.com/contact with any questions you have as you start on the next, exciting and possibility-filled year!
For more a deeper dive on the tips above and other ideas for creating a positive and successful 2022, visit my blog (and beyond) page https://juligeskepeer.com/media
Happy Almost New Year!
Juli
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A Book for the New Year!
For more about engaging all the senses that can provide support for your journey to success, please take a moment to explore my book, 5 Senses for Success: Strategies to Thrive in Any Arena. I am very proud to share these approaches and truly achievable practices that were born out of my own life and career experiences and strategic research. Each of us has it within us to achieve success and create healthier relationships within ourselves and with others
Follow this link for more information. https://juligeskepeer.com/5-senses-for-success
Juli Geske Peer is a leadership, relationship, and accountability strategist whose professional credentials include two academic degrees, mediator training, train-the-trainer certification, two coaching certifications, numerous other learning and certification accomplishments, and now, author!