Reflections on How to Live Your Best Life
As I take time to reflect on 2022, I want to share some memorable takeaways from my writing, research, engagements with people, and general observations about how we can spend our time and energy to promote living our best life.
When someone asks what would you do if you had more time, what is your response?
How about when someone asks what do you love to do with the time that you do have?
One of the things that I strive to do as a coach and educator is help people associate time with a feeling of being less stressed and being more in control of their lives. I empower people to find that clarity and focus that allows them to thrive in a way that works for them.
As I continue to learn more about people’s individual relationships with time, I have a different awareness and understanding about it. How can we use our time and energy to promote the life we want to live?
There are many ways, but here are five of my big takeaways from 2022 on how to live your best life:
1. Slow down to improve your overall well being
In 2022, I dove a little deeper into a topic that doesn't always get discussed when we talk about managing time and energy - slowing down. If we want to be the best versions of ourselves and continue doing what we do in a sustainable way, we have to realize the importance of slowing our minds and bodies down. There are various studies that have shown that slowing down can improve our overall well being. It seems counterproductive, but in the long run it is actually one of the best ways to help us get to where we want to be.
Read more about Ten Important Reasons to Slow Down.
2. Schedule downtime to promote sustainability
For some of us, slowing down is a challenge and it requires actually scheduling downtime on our calendars. While downtime looks different for everyone, it is something that should be encouraged - without guilt or fear attached to it! When we look at the benefits of incorporating downtime into our lives, they definitely outweigh the risks.
Read more about why it is beneficial to Schedule Downtime.
3. Align priorities with your mission & values
Another takeaway that has emerged as I see what people try to get done in a day, what they actually get accomplished, and what has been identified as being truly important is that we are not always prioritizing what we need or want to do. Organizing and planning priorities is not as easy as it sounds. The trick is that before we can really know what our priorities are, we need to clarify our mission and values. In short, the activities and interactions that take place on a daily basis - anything that takes up our time and energy - should directly or indirectly relate back to our overall mission.
Read more about Organizing Priorities.
4. Don’t underestimate the power of habits & routines
In addition to the topics mentioned above, I spent a lot of time reading about habits and routines. I realized that while they serve different purposes, they can both be helpful in saving us time and energy. One of the reasons I like to promote routines is that they can help to build habits (hopefully the positive ones). Once we have a habit, it takes less space in our brain to think about doing something. To me, that is magical! We have so much going on around us to clutter up our brains. It distracts us from focusing on what is important. If I can build a habit into my day that will help me free up some mental space, I am all for it!
Check out these posts to find out more about habits, routines and living with distractions:
Take Control of Your Day with Habits
Habits & Routines: How They Work Together
5. Seek support to get from where you are to where you want to be
Finally, I spent a big part of 2022 working towards understanding myself, my strengths, and ways to support my clients better as a coach. I know that I can’t do things alone and I need to seek support from a variety of people to get myself on track, find out what is most important to focus on at the moment, and better understand my mission and values.
Staying curious and gaining more clarity to understand where I am and where I want to be is something I continuously work on. Supporting my clients to create their own path and helping them celebrate and enjoy their journey is what keeps me going. I want to empower people to use their time and energy so that they can live their best life!
Do any of these takeaways resonate with you? In what way? Feel free to share with me by emailing dani@danichoicoaching.com. I would love to hear from you!
Interested in reading more? Here are some of the books* I enjoyed reading in 2022:
-Atomic Habits by James Clear
-Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, PhD
-The Creative Habit - Learn it and use it for Life by Twyla Tharp
-The Focus Project by E. Qualman
-The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
-First Things First by Stephen R. Covey
-Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price, Ph.D.
-Do Nothing - How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee
-Quiet - The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
-Mindset - Changing the Way You Think to Fulfill Your Potential by Dr. Carol S. Dweck
*I am not endorsing and do not get any kickbacks from listing these books.
I want to support people in finding the time and energy to do things that are meaningful in their lives. Together we can work towards having less stress and more clarity.
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