It is the season of pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and classic horror films!
Time flies so fast, and we have found ourselves in October already. It's been a whirlwind of a year for many of us, navigating a global pandemic and the changes it has brought to many aspects of our lives.
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At the pace that the world is moving now, coming out of the pandemic, it is easy to get lost in the hustle of bustle of everyone trying to pick themselves up and get back to pre-pandemic rigor and way of life. If you've been feeling the pressures of needing to find productivity, and feel like you've been falling short or not keeping up with the quickening pace, it could be a sign to pause and take a step back to re-evaluate the path that you would like to set for yourself.
This spooky season, grab your warm socks, whip up a hot pumpkin spice latte and grab your journal to get down to some mindful journaling to re-center yourself.
Here are 6 ways you can recalibrate and work towards being the most spectacular version of yourself!
6 Ways You Can Be A More Spectacular Version Ff Yourself
1. Stop worrying about the future or the unknown
Life is filled with uncertainty and worries about the future and what's to come our way. While there are some things that are truly within our control and based on the decisions we consciously make, there are some things that you simple cannot plan for or see coming. This makes our mindset all the more pertinent in being able to cope with difficult and unforeseen circumstances, and being able to confidently face the unknown.
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The fear of the unknown is often one of the roots of anxiety. But it is indeed possible to reframe this fear. Altering your relationship with uncertainty can help relieve some of this anxiety, because it ultimately changes your attitudes toward the unknown. It is undeniable that no one likes the discomfort of not knowing something. But rather than viewing the unknown as frightening or dangerous, think about the unknown as exciting challenging, or interesting.
If you’re able to grow to not be afraid of uncertainty, you may find yourself becoming a little more capable of wonder, awe, curiosity; all things that will propel you to go after more thrilling and fulfilling life experiences.
2. Don't let self-limiting thoughts stop you from going after what you want
Overcoming self-limiting beliefs isn’t easy. They are often deeply ingrained in us, from past bitter experiences or let-downs. But once you discover what they are, figure out how to identify them, and break them down into you can learn how to overcome your limiting beliefs.
Incorporating actionable strategies for changing limiting beliefs into your everyday life, you can finally achieve everything you’ve ever dreamed of, push yourself to go after the life you want, and be the best possible version of yourself.
3. Remind yourself to take breathers and come back refreshed
It may not seem like so most of the time, but we do indeed need to slow down to speed up.
A burn-out would be the last thing you want to find yourself experiencing in the midst of trying to re-center yourself. To get to where you want to be and to shift your life in a direction that you desire, you have to take care of yourself first. We have to pause, breathe, and relax and give ourselves what we need emotionally, mentally and physically. If we push ourselves to keep grinding without pause, we only break at an unexpected time, disconnect, and start struggling.
If it's hard to take a break because of an overwhelming schedule or nearing deadline, find little pockets of peace throughout your day. Use those moments to breath or take a break. Work towards scheduling your next day off to really step away from work or responsibilities. Giving yourself breaks is equivalent to being intentional about taking care of yourself.
Take a break. You’re worth the breather.
4. Look toward the near future and make an action-plan
An efficient action plan is a list of steps or tasks you need to complete towards achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Taking some to plan helps you to better plan for the probable obstacles ahead and keeps you on track. This will help boost your productivity and would keep you focused on the steps you need to take without getting distracted or overwhelmed.
With an action-plan, you have a clear direction. With what you need to do being highlighted, following steps that need to be taken, and roughly when they should be completed in order to hit your milestones and eventually the bigger goals. you will know exactly what you need to do. Having your goals and action-plan written down and planned out in detail will also remind you of and give you a strong reason to stay motivated and committed throughout your journey. There is nothing more powerful and convincing than plans that you set for yourself, by yourself.
This also allows you to track your progress toward your goal in a tangible manner. Supplement this action-plan with occasional check-ins and reflections as well to keep your emotional and mental well-bring in check.
Keeping a daily journal can be an effective way of keeping a record of your progress and self-discovery journey. Instead of keeping a physical journal that can be misplaced or damaged, keeping a digital diary like Journey allows you to create and store your journal entries on the cloud so that they're accessible to you at anytime and from anyplace.
Use Journey to create your action-plan easily and conveniently. With various features like habit trackers, mood trackers, weekly calendars, task-lists and more, planning for your near future and plotting a map that would allow you to be and do the best that you can is all the more easier.
Listing down all the actions and steps you need to complete towards being your best self with Journey will also make prioritizing your tasks and responsibilities better, based on effort and impact. This way, you can visualize your goals manifesting and you being the best version of yourself; a very real reality!
5. Acknowledge both the good and bad in your journey
Don't shy away from the bad, the ugly, or the more challenging parts of moulding yourself into your ideal version of yourself. This might take some hard decisions and discomfort. But discomfort is the only place in which you will grow and be pushed to your boundaries. Instead, wade into the struggle and get comfortable there. The bad parts only make the sweeter bits more satisfying. Sometimes, the most challenging parts of this journey are the ones that hold the greatest opportunity for success.
This also includes having acceptance; the ability to value all parts of who you are, the good and the bad. Acknowledge and understand all of yourself--the parts that make you competent and capable and the things that may need some improvement. Self-acceptance can be hard. Most of us are highly critical of ourselves, and it is easier to pick at the things we are unhappy with rather than acknowledge the parts we are proud of. But the journey towards being the best version of yourself starts with a full and all-rounded understanding of who you are now and where you can take yourself from here.
6. Reclaim and own your unique power!
Reclaiming and owning your power, in times that you start to feel less confident or less capable, will lead to increased self-worth and confidence. Being confident in yourself and your competence starts from within; something that no one else can make happen for you. It comes the root belief that you are deserving of worthy of hard work and reaping the fruits of that hard work thereafter.
Owning your power allows you to stand up for yourself, negotiate and ask for what you deserve for yourself, tap on and demonstrate your strengths, all while still allowing yourself the space to make mistakes and grow from them.
You have power. All that's left to do is to connect with it, own it, and allow yourself to become the best version of yourself that you could be.
You may feel like your best self is a world away from where you are now. You may even feel like you wouldn’t even recognize what your best self looks like! But by taking charge of this now and with small steps, you can get closer to that version of yourself that you really want to be. And ultimately, live a life where you feel happy, fulfilled, and being your best self.
Happy Halloween, and sending spooktacular vibes your way!