Hello friend and all the best for 2020. I hope you’ve started the year in good spirits. I certainly did. So it’s January and we’re sharing new years resolutions again for a couple of weeks. In my experience this is like singing an “I want song”. Fun while it lasts, but mostly forgettable. This is why I’m very confident about my year theme.
Year Theme
For the last 3 years I had positive experiences with using a year theme. A year theme is a word or short sentence on a subject or part of your life that you want to improve something in*. Last year my theme was “Future Fit” and it was in the area of physical and mental health.
What a theme does is empowers your decisions in the specific area that you choose. It is important that you specify for yourself what the theme means for you. Last year the theme meant making powerful decisions about the way I spend my time, money and energy so that I can make progress in the area that I concentrate on this year: work.
I’ve mentioned earlier that I want to work towards a situation where I can spend my time working on/creating stories (worlds).
Looking back on last year I can now see that I’ve made some decisions that 1: influenced my energy (food, my relation to sleep, sport) and 2 influenced my mindset (how I look at time spend, cleaning and organising papers etc).
This year my theme is Hearts fire (in Dutch: Hartenvuur). The metaphor for fire is chosen deliberately. I have written down a couple of accompanying sentences which are my guiding principles for the year when making decisions.
- Give it air/make it breathe. I want to make sure I have the time (or create it) to work on the things I love in a relaxed way.
- Give it fuel/make it burn. Have the focus on the things I love so I can nurture and grow my passion.**
- Give it attention. Give it the attention it requires so it releases positive energy back and lights the path so I can make more informed decisions.
Into action
With this as a starting point I feel ready for the year. I’m already working on number 1 of the guiding principles so things are in motion***. I’ve also noticed that (as a result of this) my book is itching in the back of my mind. I want to continue working on it and my goal is to have a first draft completed by March/April.
There is theme and there is a plan which is more ingrained into me than any I want song. I’m doing it!
P.s. Let me know if you want to also create a year theme to help you in 2020 improve some area in your life but don’t know how. Visit my contacts page message me on the socials.
* I choose from one of four area’s which research has shown that are an indication of a person’s happiness: 1. Mental and physical health; 2. Relationships; 3. Work; 4. Money. My source are David de Kock and Arjan Vergeer of 365 Dagen Succesvol; a Dutch company working to help people improve their happiness. These guys have read large piles of literature and found these four areas to be common. I know there are multiple other theories who divide it in different categories, but I like this one because it is simple with a lot of depth.
** Here are link 1 and link 2 with some information and inspiration.
*** One of the things I’m doing is cleaning and organising my work space at home so it feels more comfortable to sit there.