Enjoy the Smell of Optimism in the Air!

As the year draws to a close, now is a great time to reflect on the highlights, and lowlights, of the past 12 months.  Just think about all the amazing things we have all done and seen this year, what we have achieved, who we have helped and the great times we had.  Many fond memories are in danger of being forgotten unless you consciously remember the year that was - and what a shame that would be!  So, give it a go, give yourself 10 minutes to quietly remember the highlights of the last 12 months.  If you do, I bet it puts a smile on your face 😃

Just as important as remembering the fun times is to reflect on the things that didn't quite go quite as you expected.  Sometimes we let ourselves down, sometimes others let us down, and sometimes life lets us down (we can't control everything).  The trick here is to accept what happened, it's done and can't be undone; all we can do is try to see if we can learn from these experiences.  Don't beat yourself up if you did something wrong, just try to think of ways you can make yourself a better person and learn from the experience.  And accept that life is full of the unexpected - some of it good, some of it less so.

After reflecting on the good and the less good of the past year, this is the fun part - think what you would like to have done and who you would like to be this time next year.  Yes, this is where the smell of optimism comes in to it.  Nothing stays the same for ever; everything changes and so can we.  Not only think about the good things you would like to try and repeat, but also of the changes you can make to try and lessen the chances of the less good things from happening again.  

I'm the eternal optimist at this time of year and love creating a list of goals/ intentions (sort of resolutions) that I will try my best to stick to over the coming year.  Here's what I've decided on for 2019, it's quite a personal thing and they probably aren't for everyone:

• Run (on average) at least 2 miles per day.  
• I did this last year and it made me feel fab - getting outside and running is good for the soul!  I will do one marathon (I'm already booked in for the New Forest Marathon) and at least one half marathon (the Cambridge Half Marathon is booked).  I will also do two run streaks - months where I will run a minimum of 3 miles every day
• Meditate at least 4 times per week.  
• I got into meditation a few years ago and it really helps me maintain good mental health.  Depression comes from living in the past and anxiety from living in the future; the key is to live in the present and enjoy the here and now.  I can't stress enough how beneficial this is - if you're new to the idea of mindfulness and meditation, I wrote a quick guide to help you get started
• Have (on average) 5 drink free days per week.
• I'm not in any way a heavy drinker, but it's all too easy to find a reason to have a glass of wine with dinner a few times a week.  There have been so many studies and articles about middle-aged folks drinking too much this last year and I realised that could be me if I wasn't mindful.  This year I started using two apps to help ensure I retained control - 'Drink Free Days' where you pledge (and record) how many days will be drink free, and 'Drink Coach', where you enter what you've drunk and it tells you how many units you have consumed.  It's worth keeping tabs on things like this.
• Journal & Plan Weekly.
• This is something I let slip last year and it had a negative impact as my life became chaotic for a while.  I have two journals I try to use every day - the Bullet Journal for planning my life and the MindJournal to help ensure I have good mental health.  Both are easy and quick to do and the results are amazing - you'll feel happier and more in control than ever.
• Expand my mind through continued education.
• As well as being an avid reader of fiction, I also love reading self-help and personal betterment books.  I went through a period of only reading fiction and stopped reading non-fiction, but got back into it again this year.  I don't remember everything, but enough to feel better about myself - I sleep better, am more appreciative and mindful and have more balanced views as a result.  I also completed a ten week online course on politics with Oxford University - I did it to try and better understand the turmoil of the world we live in and it helped.  I will do another course with them again this year as well as completing shorter courses with Future Learn (a free resource with a huge amount of courses).  Continued education helps prevent us from becoming opinionated and not listening to other people's views - I question my values and opinions regularly and believe that to be healthy.
• Stop Vaping.
• Vaping is my one true vice and I really dislike being addicted to anything, despite the 'pleasure' it gives me.  So, this will be tough, but I will stop this year and will use Allen Carr's Easyway advice to help me stop.  
• Don't waste precious time (DWPT!).
• Time is all too short and we all know folks (directly or indirectly) whose time has come to an end.  I want to maximise my time and enjoy life - not to waste it on the mundane or unnessecary.  Just think about how often you do the things you enjoy or visit the people you love - then think how many more times you can continue to do it before either they, or you, aren't able to.  It can be quite sobering - everything changes, our health declines, we may move, people pass away.  Time is the most precious thing any of us has, so don't waste it...
• Have more fun - and just say 'Yes' more.
• I think as we get older, there is the danger that we get somewhat set in our ways - and staying in or just doing the things we're used to becomes increasingly more attractive.  I want to nip this in the bud, be more spontaneous and say yes to more ideas.  First on my list is going to be to join an outdoor swimming club...
• Publish my 2nd novel.
• After the success of my first book, I am determined to make the time to finish my second novel (Gateway of Tears) and get it published.  I then want to start my third book during November with motivational help from doing it during NaNoWriMo
• Be a better person!
• This is my default and always on my list - no matter how good we are, we can always be better.  We can help more folks, be kinder, even more tolerant etc.  Nobody is perfect, so just try and be better, simples!  A good place to start is the Action for Happiness monthly calendar - print off a copy and try to do as many of the daily suggestions as you can.

So, that's my list of optimistic intentions - have you made some?  If you haven't, just give it a go - it's never too late and you'll feel great (optimism is contageous!).  And, if like me you're not perfect and 'fail' one week, just have that on me and keep going.  Meeting 75% of our intentions is way better than giving up!

And remember, it's true, there's nothing quite like the smell of optimism in the air!  

Good luck for 2019!!