With the busy-ness of December past once more and the quiet serenity of January upon us, I encourage you to take a moment and, ask yourself two important questions:
- What do I want?
- What do I need?
With our social media feeds, and so often our minds, filled at this point of the year with thoughts of New Year New You, goal setting, resolution making and fresh starts, it’s so easy to get swept up in the buzz, chatter and perhaps pressure we see around us. In doing so, you risk neglecting, what YOU, as an individual with your own distinct circumstances, truly want and, or, ultimately need.
With this in mind, why not take some time out, just a few moments will do, to check in with where YOU are this January.
How is YOUR body right now?
How is YOUR mind?
What do YOU want?
What does YOUR mind and body need?
Our wants and needs can be aligned and reflect one another. However sometimes they may be disparate and seemingly contradictory; potentially creating some conflict; an internal tug of war as it were. What’s important, is awareness. Awareness to be able to recognise what our wants and needs are; and if they are out of sync, awareness to be able to judge what ‘should’ take precedence in that moment, for YOU.
Let me walk you through a simple example for myself.
I desperately want to get back into fitness after a prolonged Christmas break. My body is itching to move and be back in the gym. However my body has different immediate needs right now. I have started the year run down with a cold that doesn’t seem to want to end. So it is more about rest and reset for me. Taking time to allow my body to recover, resting as much as I can between work and my kids. Recognising my needs in this way, has shifted what I genuinely want for now. I will get back to the gym, but for now I want and need to rest. And that is okay.
By taking the time to tune into my mind and to listen to my body, my needs are being met. If I had pushed through, my immediate want of going to the gym may have been satisfied. But my basic needs would not and in the long run, I know from personal experience, that is not sustainable.
Sometimes our wants come out on top. Other times, our needs need to take priority. And oftentimes, when all is well, our wants and needs align and both can be happily met together.
Take a moment, and consider,
- What do you want right now?
- What do you need?
Once you have ascertained those answers, you can embrace the start of this year and all the freshness, resolutions and newness it entails, in a way that truly serves YOU.
If you would love support in identifying your true wants or ensuring your needs get met, then I would love to work with you. Get in touch to find out more.
2nd January 2024