We are on the cusp of a new year and most people are busy preparing for holiday celebrations with family and friends or planned vacations. Every year seems to go by quicker than the last and this is especially true if you feel that you have not been achieved what you set out in the beginning of the year. This is why it is so important to define what you wish to focus on in the coming year. This will be different for each of you, however, there are a few key ideas I would like to share to ensure your fulfillment and success in the new year.
1. You need to optimize your physiology. This is done through nutrition, movement and adequate sleep. I have discussed these issues in previous posts. However, to summarize, your nutrition should focus on eliminating inflammatory foods such as sugar, dairy, grains, corn, soy, cashews and peanuts and focus on foods that will increase your intake of micro and macro nutrients, antioxidants, phytochemicals and essential minerals. These foods include leafy greens, root vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, especially wild berries, avocados, olives, figs, nuts such as walnuts, pecans, macadamias and hazelnuts, free range antibiotic and hormone free meat in small quantities, wild caught fish and seafood and lots of reverse osmosis filtered water.
You should engage in a regular movement practice such as yoga, tai chi, martial arts, dance or any other fitness program or sport that you resonate with. At the minimum you should be doing regular body weight exercises such as squats, pull ups, push ups and core exercises.
You should be getting least 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep a night in a darkened room with a comfortable mattress and no exposure to electronics or blue light for two hours prior to sleep time.
2. Cultivate your relationships. We do not live in isolation but are social creatures and much of our joy and happiness comes through relationships. If you have toxic or difficult relationships then you need to reassess whether they serve you and you should let them go. You need to spend time with people who you resonate with, have fun with and make you think outside the box and support you on your life’s journey.
The five keys to optimizing your relationship with your life partner are openness and honesty, effective communication, selflessness, expressing the unconditional love that you are and spending quality time together.
3. You must discover your why? What is your why? This is the reason you are here on the planet at this time or your higher mission in this world. This seems like a daunting task but can be found through journaling. I suggest you journal on the following questions:
What were my childhood ambitions and dreams?
What are the skills, talents and abilities people complement me on?
What can I engage in and not notice the time pass by?
Who do I admire for their accomplishments?
If I knew I could not fail, what would I attempt to do?
The last question is the most important one to define the deeper meaning to your life. There can be no fulfillment without discovering your reason for being and then starting on the path to living it.
As we approach the end of another year and celebrate the holidays, remember that you are not defined by your past or your life story. Everything can change in an instant if you know what to focus on.
I wish you all a wonderful holiday season and all the best for the new year!
Dr. Nauman Naeem