I hope you have had a restful and/or fun holiday season and New Year’s celebration. I hope this year brings much happiness into your life.
To start the year off in the “happy” mode we crave and tend to enjoy, here’s a list of thoughts to get us there:
1. Deal with what is nagging at you. I looked up the definition of “nagging” and found one which said “continuously troublesome.” That is what I mean. Figure out what’s on your own list of things that are nagging at you. It may not necessarily be work-related, or the activity you are currently Procrastinating on. But it may be:
- your broken light fixture
- learning how to post the way you mean to on Facebook
- going to the doctor to check on a pain that won’t go away
- removing clutter in the major areas of your living space
- returning or getting a library book
- calling someone to say “thanks” for a thoughtful present or gesture
Take care of the items on your list and note how you feel once you're through.
2. Set yourself up well to enter the New Year. By this, I mean put your thoughts into action:
- Send a group e-mail to start a get-together, club, or group you have been interested in starting. Your friends and colleagues will be glad to hear from you.
- Prepare a binder with free printables from Pinterest or the Web to keep track of something this year. Some ideas are: your budget, your charitable gifts, your medical expenses and reimbursements, your household projects, or your business expenses. A big plus here is you end up making your tax preparation go a lot easier. And it’s really great to make anything with taxes go easier!
- Pick up something that gives you joy. (Please be extra careful that you are ready for that joy, if you are planning to pick up a cute puppy.) For me, this will mean doing some knitting. I like to knit very much, and would like to en-gauge (knitting joke) in it much more this year.
3. Face what you have been Procrastinating on. Notice I used the word “face” here. So, I don’t necessarily mean get everything you’ve been delaying and avoiding done (although that would be grrrrrrreat). Take a good look at what you have been Procrastinating on:
- What is it?
- What are the reasons for your delay?
- What help do you need on the project?
- What are the costs to you of your avoidance?
- What small action can you make today to get yourself back into motion?
I truly hope this list helps gives you a window into some happiness this year. Take all of it or just a piece. Embrace the good feelings that will come and enjoy 2014!
