Hello 2019! This year, I aspire to...
It’s here! The universe has blessed us with a new year and adding another chapter in our lives. 2018 witnessed plenty of progress in my personal life and career growth, lots of bucket list checked and new places visited. Of course, there’s plenty more of that goals set out for 2019 (bucket list, national parks, career milestone etc.) but I also want to try something new (to me) this year.
I aspire to practice more of these and keep myself in check as I go through the year. So here comes my new year mantra, and my why and how!
Today and each day onward, I will be here, I will be myself, I will be intentional, and I will be consistent.
be here.
why: with our convenient access to technology that enables us to ‘multitask’, it’s really easy to get distracted and not really “be here” in the present moment. I caught myself doing this sometimes mid-conversation where the other person will have to repeat themselves because my mind was wandering off or I was occupied adding filters to my IG post. it sends a message to others that our time together is not as important, and also adding rework (to repeat) and frustration.
how: I'm making a commitment to not have my phone visible when hanging with friends (baby steps….cause I may still want to scroll through my phone when I’m hanging out by myself!) and to not as easily reach for it unless I really have to show them something from my phone. I also haven't been doing it for the Gram that much but I do have the tendencies to take lots of photos during my trip/hike. Photos that 90% of the time stayed in my phone, unshared and unpublished in any shape or form. So less phone, more presence.
be you.
why: this past year has seen more honest snippets of what’s really going on in my head and translated via my said or written words. what I've learned through the experience is that the truth really does set me free. I want to do more of this, and share more of my authentic self with others despite my introvert nature and the need for ‘covering’. so many stories to tell!
how: I plan to share more of my authentic self both at work and in my personal life. expect to see more of this through my IG posts and stories. my intersectionality runs deep through multiple layers of minority groups and I have been (and will continue to) own it! more authentic, less covering.
be intentional.
why: the last few years, I thought I have mastered the art of being intentional. i always do things with a solid purpose that will yield result. this year, I realized that I may have blurred the line on my intentions when it comes to intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation. and this, was, frustrating to say the least.
how: I plan to reconnect with my values and reevaluate both my short term and long term goals. sometimes my intentions are right, but my methods or executions create non-necessary stress to the systems. once in a blue moon, I’ll do things ‘just cause’, which often is unjustified because it’s doesn't necessarily yield a positive outcome. I will be more intentional by asking my “why” on my actions and decisions. If it’s something that resonates well within my values and principal, I will be more at peace. Less random, more intent.
be consistent.
why: my energy level is comparable to the motion of waves in ocean (that sort of rhymes too). it goes through a quite consistent ups and downs, high tides and low tides, and occasionally, a tsunami would roll by, causing massive destructions and aftermath (on the negative side) but at the same time will also relief the pent up energy between the tectonic and oceanic plates within the subduction zone - okay, the geek talk is coming out to play now (but on the positive side, having reset moment is a good thing).
how: I chose ‘be consistent’ to be the last element on this list because by showing up everyday (be here) as myself (be you) to act and react (be intentional), consistency will be embedded in these three elements as I practice them daily. Consistency is a product of habit and making the time for the check and balances. and what’s a good way to track progress and compare your input while reviewing the output? Journaling. I will give this another try, but now, I am better equipped than before. I look forward to be more consistent on how I show up everyday in real life, and looking forward to add consistency to my virtual life shared via social platforms. More of me, less M.I.A!
I hope to share more with you this year and hear more from you as well while we take the time to get to know each other and nurture our friendship and partnership. Let me hear what your 2019 aspirations are!
happy trails,
Linda M.
