Last January, as I was running a challenging half-marathon race in cold, strong winds and rain in Richmond park, I saw a sign that said ‘Breathe & Believe’ (thanks Run Through UK) and this became my mantra for the year. It helped me achieve my goals on more than one occasion and got me through some tough times. So I’m sticking with the idea of a mantra as I find it really inspiring and motivating. Have you tried it?
REFLECT
Before saying goodbye to 2023 and setting a new mantra for 2024, let’s take a few minutes to reflect on the year that’s gone (do write down your answers for them to have a bigger impact – you could even write the ‘leaving behind’ stuff on a separate sheet of paper and burn it at the end for extra impact):
*What has gone well
*What would you like to leave behind
*What habits, qualities and thoughts would you like to take with you into the new year
THE POWER OF MANTRAS
As I was reflecting on my next mantra, a few came up but none of them stuck and then ‘Have faith’ appeared. I’m not religious but I’m spiritual and I’m definitely turning more and more to spiritual practices – journalling, meditation, gratitude to name but a few – to help me heal and grow as well as help me achieve my goals.
Mantras don’t mean that you don’t set goals or intentions for the year but rather they are the guiding principle behind every goal. If you identify a powerful mantra and combine it with your core values, it’s easier to set and achieve goals that are truly aligned with YOU.
CREATING YOUR VISION
If you’re struggling to find your mantra, you may wish to start by creating a vision board to get your creativity going and tuning in to your subconscious self. I find it so much more powerful and therapeutic to do this the old school way ie cutting out images and words that speak to you from magazines and then glueing them onto a large whiteboard. But you can of course do this online (using Pinterest?) if that works better for you.
UNCOVER YOUR CORE VALUES
From there, take a few moments to consider your core values. These are things that matter a lot to you and some of them will probably have been with you since childhood. If that is the case, you can also consider whether they are still your values or perhaps those of your parents/siblings or society. Many core values stay with us for life. But some may also change or get added in as we get older. Consider ‘health’ as a value that you may not consider important in your youth but if you face a health scare or are perhaps caring for an elderly parent, you may now consider health to be a really important value. If your list of values is longer than five, you can rank each value against the others in order of importance in order to get your top five.
Once you’ve done that, have a look at your vision board ie your dreams for the future and look at your values, then at your current reality. What is it going to take to get you from where you are now to where you want to go? Are you currently living your life in accordance with your core values or is something not aligned? How can you get from A to B while still remaining true to your values?
By now, you’re probably feeling either drained or energised by all this reflective work. So it’s time to see if a mantra is starting to appear. Remember the mantra will help you on your journey towards your goals and more importantly, it will help you keep going in the face of the inevitable challenges of life. What little words will help you stick it out so that you can finish 2024 the way you want it to?
Remember, the grass is greener where you water it so choose your mantra carefully.
If you’re stuck and need some guidance and accountability along the way, why not get in touch to learn more about my perimenopause and mindset coaching packages.
My 30-min discovery calls are free and they may just give you the impetus you need to move into the new year with calm, clarity and confidence.
Happy 2024!
Caroline