Marching On

BEWARE THE TEMPTATIONS OF MARCH

We've already seen a couple of potential slips back to the old ways. I say we, because my partner, Cathy, is very much on the mindfulness path with me this year and like me, she's truly focused on making 2016 a very significant year in hers, mine and our combined paths.

The key word for 2016 is MODERATION. Without it we can all get a bit out of sync - especially as the days become longer, brighter and warmer, bringing with it all the temptations for breaking the routines.

This time of year always brings lifestyle challenges for me, and more so over recent years as I try to implement some positive life changes to re-address the balance in my hectic life.

For as long as I can recall, like many others, I suspect, I've been driven by desires to do whatever it is I'm enjoying at the time, with very little or no consideration for the consequences of my actions. 

Last year became a significant milestone in my life for a number of reasons. My years of pushing myself to physical and mental limits and consequently feeling the effects of living a 23 year old's life in a 43 year old's body, had started to catch up with me. It's been a good run - not many could have survived relatively injury free and sane after the extremes I've put myself through! But, long-overdue changes were needed all the same if I'm to survive the next 20 years. 

Looking back over the previous 12 months, I can see that February was a very positive time last year. However, there was also a break in the routine that knocked me off track a bit. Namely, a holiday with the lads. A Snowboarding holiday trip was a massive break in the no drinking routine for me and it took a strong resolve to get back on track after that. So this March will be very much the same. There's a snowboarding trip booked for the 12-19th and a couple of other birthdays planned this month with lots of fun friends involved too....

Key Learnings

Drinking needs to be in moderation and only on special occasions. Ample allowances are to be made for recovery time, with focus on lots of good food decisions and restorative exercise to get back on track as soon as possible. 

Sunshine can help to revitalise a hangover, so getting to bed at a reasonable time will ensure there's quality recuperation time allowed and it'll make getting back to the productive early morning routine much easier. 

Avoiding stimulants of all kinds will keep the body in a balanced state. Coffee, sugar and alcohol are to be used in small quantities. Not only do they stress the body, but with alcohol especially, they also break the self-control on spending money. 

It's been a mindful start to the year and it's going to require a strong resolve to keep us from breaking the budget in coming months!

Planning An End Game

WINNING MOVES

I've worked really hard progressing personal development over the last year. The improvements have already brought gains and shown to be advantageous in many ways. I'm now equipped with some great tools to make a real difference in whatever I choose to do in the next stage of my life.

My learnings have also motivated others around me to take stock. I'm witnessing first hand how the teachings that I'm passing forward, are creating happiness and success. So now, these people are inspiring me to continue on this chosen path and help others to make improvements in their lives too. This in turn, will mean sticking to what I've been doing over the last year and being smart when it comes to making any future work/career moves. 

I already mentioned a bit about the benefits of portfolio working last year and why it's a good idea to keep a diverse set of skills that create wealth from different revenue streams. I've been doing a lot of handy man jobs over recent months, but I really need some good regular money coming in. The means for obtaining high income doesn't really exist in the handy-man world, which is a shame because there's real value in it. But, in order to bring in the higher revenue that I need which will also give me the freedom that's necessary for writing my book about my year of living mindfully, I'll have to make some counter moves to set up my winning end game.

So it's time to redouble my efforts and secure myself a semi-full time role in advertising once again. 

Reconnaissance Review

THE LAY OF THE LAND

Merely a reconnaissance mission - not a battle. How is this all looking?

The first 3 days have really been a continuation from Christmas - but the 5am starts and exercise routine has been started successfully. I've read through a few of the previous posts and I can see where there's going to be a lot of work to fully understand what I've learned from 2015 and where it can be consolidated and put to good use.

So today marks the last day of the old routine and tomorrow - Monday - will be a first step out into the unknown terrain ahead, with my senses primed and wits fully about me.

Keeping the Journal Alive
I'm going to start a personal one paragraph diary where I'll keep track of the daily progress, make milestones on what I've been up to and achieved. There'll also be some notes taken on my mood diary, with gratitude and affirmations, plus visualisation board at home and on Pinterest.

FFC2016 - The Next Chapter

PLEDGE FOR THE NEW YEAR

I've made it! I have reached my goal of writing a blog post every day for 365 consecutive days. It's been a challenge and I've accomplished what I set out to do. But life is a series of challenges that are constantly changing and evolving. So today marks the end of a life chapter but also the beginning of another.

Today marks the start of the next quest
It's just after 5am and I'm sitting at my computer typing this blog from a fresh mind. Currently, I have a few key objectives for this year that I will aim to complete and these are outlined below. I also have a few immediate take out learnings from 2015 that I wish to adhere to. These are the following:

Less battles. I wore myself out in 2015 standing my ground, fighting for the things I believed in and this has taken a lot out of me physically and mentally. This maxim stands true: If I get angry, I am the the loser. My mind has been filled with the planning, advancement, completion of and reflection on my battles fought. Consequently I've been consumed by these thoughts and they've impacted me in negative ways. Hence, I need to focus much more on the positive emotions if I'm to populate my mind with the creative thoughts and body with the necessary energy to encourage further development and success.

Be Happier. I tend to get caught up in concerns about the sad realities of life and focus too much on matters of the human condition - which makes me cynical. The facts of life will always be there as a reminder of the challenges we all face but we can still be appreciative of our good fortunes and approach each day in a positive and playful manner. Bringing attention to those things beyond our control, will only deter thinking away from what is there in front of our face. There's fun and happiness to be had right now in the moment if we allow it. So I intend to practise a daily mantra of gratitude to help promote happy & positive thoughts from the moment I wake until the last moments before falling to sleep. The teachings of the Dalai Lama can show us all how to train our minds to be better individuals for attaining true happiness:

“Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”

More compassion. I need to start thinking more of others and treat myself more kindly too. The judgement I bestow upon others is wounding me spiritually. This area of my being is where the greatest work is required and therefore I must practise compassion daily to get better at following the golden rule - being considerate to another's needs, just as I wish to be considered in return.

January pledge
- Up early every day at 5am
- Read 20 pages of a book daily
- Lean languages daily with Duolingo
- Qi gong daily
- Yoga daily
- Eat less to lose 'winter coat' and always make fresh meals with more vegetarian options
- Spend less, budget and save money
- Make up some meals from food left in the cupboards to save money
- Buy reduced items from grocers late in the day
- Research blog pages for developing my book
- Find a project I can develop into a new career
- Create an exercise programme outside of the gym
- Create a healthy and nutritious food plan

Statement
I pledge to be more understanding of others, loving & compassionate, more positive and less cynical. The illusion of life, it's shortness and inevitable end, needn't mean I have to believe everything is pointless. I need to concentrate on my key positive character traits which serve me best - namely my: steely determination, spirit of adventure and efficient focus on doing something well until completion. I simply have to keep in mind my central beliefs for what I'm capable of. If I continue to strive towards achieving goals, just as I always have done, life's purpose will reveal itself and those things I excel in, will in turn, become my loved, rewarding life's work.

I will create my morning ritual and stick to it. This will incorporate daily affirmations, research, good nutrition, exercise and greater awareness of being more attentive to the needs of those around me.

Blogging
My morning's work will be to research the blog posts of 2015 and collate my findings for seeing where I've made gains, where more work needs to be focused and this information will be written up into a book. I will post my findings once per week every Sunday without fail. They won't have to be long or have any new insightful messages or meaning as I want to focus the time on the book but they will still show any new learnings and the monthly posts will be a gauge on my progress.

This blog post is a repeat post from the last entry of 2015 marking a year of living mindfully. To see what has happened in a year, and measure against where my mind was at from the very start of this quest, my post from the 1st of January 2015 can be found here.