Happy 2024 - what will YOU do?
Happy New Year and all the best for 2024!
No matter how your 2023 turned out to be, I want to use this opportunity to share a little idea with you as you begin this new year with a blank slate today, Monday the 1st of January.
The Challenge:
You feel like you're not present enough.
At work you might feel bored or overwhelmed or just disconnected from your tasks. At home there are a million things to do, between life admin, family schedules, appointments and just keeping things ticking over.
Most of us use our phone as the easy way to relieve some of that pressure by escaping into digital landscapes, scrolling, watching, reading, liking and sharing. Meanwhile, those we care about - our loved ones - and the work we take pride in suffer from our inattention.
If this describes you, don't feel ashamed. Be honest with yourself, recognise the situation and decide whether you want to do something about it.
The Solution:
Do more things that make you forget to check your phone.
You don't consider your phone and the digital world to be more important than your family and friends and work. It is easy to get sucked into those handheld 'slot machines', though. So let's do something about it.
Identify what keeps you from being present. This can be a physical device like your phone, xBox, TV, etc. Think about why you use these devices instead of being with those people that are right there in the room with you.
Or, alternatively, if getting distracted at work is your challenge, look at the tasks and responsibilities you have so you can better understand why you avoid them through distraction. Are things too easy? Too hard? Not interesting?
Find a manageable and specific step you can take that keeps you more present in the moment, e.g. leaving your phone in the kitchen when you put your kids to bed. Or leaving it in your bag/jacket while you're sitting at your desk in the office.
Make the effort to become consistent with this, so you can experience the difference and see what it feels like to be truly present without distraction.
The Next Step:
Try it today! Take your solution and implement it today. If you like, start tracking it every day by marking an X on the calendar for every day you successfully did 'the thing'. Don't break the streak, just keep on going.
My challenge? Definitely my phone. I aim to use it only when needed, but certainly don't stick to that rule as much as I'd like. My goal is to not use my phone to read the news or check social media while I'm around my daughter, even if she's busy playing by herself or sleeping. I don't want her to remember me checking my phone all the time, unless there is an emergency or we're at the supermarket working through the grocery list.
It's over to you now. Today is a great day to start and in a week from now you will have made progress to be more present. It's a gift not just for those around you but for you as well. I promise that you'll never regret not scrolling more or gaming more. But we will all regret not spending time with those we love and doing things we truly care about.
I'd love to hear from you:
How will you be more present this year?
What's one thing you'd like me to share in this blog
Have a great start to 2024 and a great week.
Eva
