Written by Volker Ballueder

I believe that without a doubt no one predicted what would have happened in 2020. We are all tired of endless video calls, looking after our kids whilst working, and balancing life, making the most out of it. And, a few of us have suffered from being furloughed, or even lost their jobs. And some have lost loved ones. 

It won’t be easy to just leave that behind, but sometimes in life, we have to make a new beginning. Drawing the famous line in the sand, and taking a step forward, as a new self, with renewed confidence and focus.

Men’s sana in corpore sano - a healthy mind in a healthy body. For many years I have described it as “your ‘spirit’ must fit 100% into your body”, like you cannot put the famous square pegs into round holes. Do you know what I mean?

A lot of us have resolutions for 2021, and those will include to be healthier. Some of us want to lose weight, get fit, take up a healthy hobby like yoga, to be happier with their body, to feel better, embrace life, or start a mindfulness routine. As with all those goals, you should make sure when setting milestones that those are SMART.

• Specific: I want to meditate 5 minutes a day for a month
• Measurable = 5 minutes
• Achievable = are 5 minutes a day achievable
• Realistic = is it realistic to have 5 minutes a day
• Time bound = for a month, every day

If you, like many others, put a resolution up that isn’t based on those guidelines, e.g. getting fit and running a marathon in two weeks time - then this is not going to work. That’s why a lot of resolutions fail. And if you have a bigger goal, maybe you have to break it down in bite size chunks. It’s like eating the elephant, one bite at a time.

Best is to sit down, brainstorm what you want to achieve in 2021. Then write those goals down in a SMART way, and visualise them on your fridge door for instance. Somewhere where you get reminded of them regularly. Review them, and put down milestones. Treat yourself for achieving those.

It’s when we take the time for ourselves, that’s when we come up with the real goals that we want to achieve. Look inside yourself, maybe set some time aside for a walk, or a meditation session, a hot bath to relax, unwind and think. Try to have a notepad handy so you can take notes and jot down what you want to achieve.

This time for yourself is precious. You might have to ask someone to look after your kids to find undisturbed time, however don’t forget to treat yourself. And maybe, if you have a friend that is a bit down around Christmas, give them the chance to do the above. Offer kindness to others, and look after their kids for an afternoon.

Personally, I love the time between Christmas and New Year. A time with little work, but loads of family fun, yet quiet time to reflect. To look back at what 2020 was like, and what we learned, what we are grateful for. And there are always things we are grateful for. Cherish those and look towards the future.

Feel energised, and feel the passion for your new, rejuvenated you. 

Here is to being healthier, happier, and more mindful in 2021.