We are officially on the other side of Christmas. I hope you were able to make time to focus on love, joy, hope and peace during the past month. If you did, I know that you found a little more balance in your life and regained some needed perspective during the holidays. Either way, chances are you are feeling the post-Christmas energy dip. I hope you are enjoying some quiet time to relax a little and recover.
How quickly do you put away your Christmas decorations? I usually decorate my house on American Thanksgiving. This year I had it done earlier. The weather had been unseasonably cold here and I was eager to get all the lights and candles out to create a cozy atmosphere. But as soon as the leftover turkey is finished I'm done with the holiday decor. I love to have everything packed away before the new year begins. I've already started.
I prefer to begin the new year with everything clean and organized. It’s symbolic to me. It’s a new year, a fresh start, a blank slate, a new chapter ready to be written - I could go on with the metaphors but I think you get the picture.
What we surround ourselves with has a huge impact on our lives. And I’m talking about everything around you. From the thoughts in your head to the clutter on your desk. The environment you create for yourself is a big factor in how you live your life.
I’ve been reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. He reminded me of the importance of our environment. (I also did my MA thesis on this topic so it isn’t new to me but I really appreciated the reminder!) Clear wrote, “Our behaviour is not defined by the objects in the environment but by our relationship to them. In fact, this is a useful way to think about the influence of the environment on your behaviour. Stop thinking about your environment as filled with objects. Start thinking about it as filled with relationships. Think in terms of how you interact with the spaces around you. For one person, her couch is a place where she reads for an hour each night. For someone else, the couch is the place where he watches television and eats a bowl of ice cream after work. Different people can have different memories - and thus different habits - associated with the same place.”
There is a lot more I could say about this topic. I am convinced that we need to be aware of what we bring into our environment or have around us. Think about how good you feel after you clean out your closet and get rid of things that you don't wear. And yet, we tolerate surrounding ourselves with things we have outgrown or are not useful any longer.
If you want to make changes in your life, think about your environment and how you can make some changes to create a more supportive space to achieve what you want. If there is any area in your life where you need to make some changes, whether it is clutter, toxic relationships or getting clear on your values, let’s connect in 2020.
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