How to slow down time and increase happiness

Happy New Year! I know it feels like ages ago that we celebrated the clock striking midnight but actually it was just at the beginning of this very month. And Lunar New Year was just a few days ago… so in my books it’s still proper to wish you a Happy New Year.

As you’ve probably experienced for yourself time moves quickly when we’re consumed in our daily lives, and often it seems that a year has gone by in a blink. This is why it’s extremely important to schedule daily, weekly, and monthly check-ins with yourself. You don’t need to (and you really shouldn’t) wait until the end of a year to take time to reflect on your life.

Why? Because nothing every goes according to plan. In fact, in the words of John Lennon “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans”. Does this mean you should give up on planning all together… Not at all. But it does mean that you’ll need to check in on your plans in order to course correct as needed. And, the more often you check in the more likely you’ll be able to get back on track and complete your intended goals.

Personally, I like to treat the last day of every month as a “New Month’s Eve” kind of like a mini New Year’s Eve. It’s an opportunity for me to ask similar questions to what I reflected on during New Year’s and set new goals for the coming month.

In case you forgot what those questions are here’s a reminder (change the month accordingly going forward).

1. What are your best memories of January?
2. Assess your January goals? What were they? How did they go?
3. What were your biggest lessons learned in January?
4. What is one word that describes the theme of January?
5. What does your life look like in February? Describe it in detail.
6. What are 3 skills you will invest in to add to your growth game?
7. What is one word to describe the theme of 2017?

Then write this:
Thank you January for all that you have taught me, I have grown to be a better human as a result. February, I welcome you with __________ (insert your theme word).

I know the beginning of this year has been intense on many levels, that’s why it’s even more important to slow down and step back to orient yourself before stepping into a new month.

Remember, treat every day as an opportunity for radical growth.