Time to Revisit 2025 Visions - Commit to Ritual to Stay in Connection
I hope you got some rest going into this year and found your “center”. That can be different for each of us, but often includes these elements: more rested than busy season, more connected to other people and to our hearts than we are when we are in rush mode, more in the moment and appreciative of the small things, and more flexible and playful than usual – in many ways, all the things that we all know are the most meaningful in life.
And now, one month into the year, we have re-entered those same intense environments that got us off center to begin with – the doing mode, the hustle, the competitiveness, the goal orientation. These environments are not bad and often lead us to a better version of ourselves. But how do we co-exist in this intensity and still hold our place of “center”?
I share a few things I am doing this year, in case it is helpful for you:
Plan exactly when you will have re-centering time during the year. So plan your vacations now, or at least their dates, and mark those off on your calendar. Aim for at least 3 longer ones per year. Also plan long weekends for mini-resets – aim for at least 6 of those during the year.
Stay slow enough to not compromise on your connectivity to people. The most rewarding and often most productive things happen during open, connective moments with others. So set yourself up for success by building space into your calendar. Do not have back to back meetings without a short break, 5-10 minutes for yourself to recharge and be ready to give your best to the next person/team. Do not schedule more meetings than you can be present for in one day. The number will differ on your role and how intense the meetings can be.
Meet work intensity with “centeredness” intensity. A few weeks ago, I got back from my annual trip to my yoga and meditation ashram. A very disciplined daily schedule starting at 5:30 am of 8 hours per day of yoga, breathwork, meditation and other modalities leaves one extremely centered, despite its rigor and discipline. At this point in the year, what do you need to tweak about your schedule to maintain your center? Perhaps waking up even earlier by an hour can actually be the right answer. Perhaps scheduling in exactly when you will “check out” of work every day will lead to a feeling of openness even though it appears rigid. Perhaps using the phone’s App Shut Down mode from 10 pm to 8am is the right answer to keep you rejuvenated and present in your off-hours.
If you have not done so already, it’s not too late. Set your annual vision now. In addition to the above type of commitments, ensure that you include the most important areas in your personal life where progress/change is desired. Be ambitious. If not now, in 2025, then when? What emotional blockage is holding you back that you will address with your partner, or in therapy? Will you give up coffee or alcohol this year? Will you become a morning workout person this year?
Realize that change takes work and discipline. Write down and commit to changes that incorporate the above into your daily life. Build a schedule to revisit your commitment to these changes until they become habit and ritual. So for example, schedule in when you will read your commitments weekly as well as monthly check-ins to see how you are doing on your new commitments. For me, what works are pre-scheduled monthly meetings on Saturday mornings for 2 hours to check in on how I did on my commitments, make any necessary adjustments, and re-commit. If your changes are getting you closer to staying “centered” and therefore to the things that matter the most in life, isn’t it worth it to be this disciplined about these changes?
I have found that all change, growth, and evolution works best when it starts from a place of radical acceptance of who you are exactly in this moment. This is the polarity that must be held. So be playful and light and not hard on yourself in this work.
I share what has worked for me in sustaining new year visions for your consideration.
I hope your year has started off filled with beauty, love, joy, and prosperity in your outer matters.
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