And all of a sudden it’s 2019! Last year I wrote a similar post to this that seemed to resonate with many of you so now here are the 9 things I’m letting go of in 2019. (19 was just too many, let’s be honest!).
Rather than set myself up with some new years resolutions I have no chance of keeping, I’m instead focusing on simplifying my life by letting go of some stuff.
Some are emotional, some physical – but all are things I need to quit, leave behind, ditch from my life.
It’s decluttering for the soul!
Let me know if you are letting go of any of these 9 things from your life this year?
9 Things I’m Quitting in 2019
1. Negative Self-Talk
Over the last 12 months, I’ve become really REALLY good and talking badly to myself.
Whether it’s about my physical appearance, my (lack of) achievements or even my mental health, it’s getting out of hand.
So when these negative thoughts creep into my head, I’m going to rationalise them, try to tell myself they’re not true and send them on their way. Because I’m fine.
2. Focusing on the wrong health goals
For my entire adult life, I’ve battled with my weight – and I’ve become fixated on it.
Yes, I would like to lose 15-20kgs but the outcome I actually want is good health, a stronger body and to be a better physical role model for my kids.
The scale will help me track how I’m, well, tracking, with my weight but the focus needs to shift to Good Health and not simply the number on the scale.
I’ll be sharing more about this in the coming weeks so subscribe here to stay tuned.
3. Ditch the Scale – more often
And while we’re on the subject, this whole ‘weighing myself everyday’ thing really needs to stop.
The number on the scale has determined my mood for the day for years now.
A ‘bad number’ sets me up to feel like a fat, useless and hopeless failure for the day and it’s crazy. A 0.5kg overnight gain is not worth the amount of self-beating up that follows.
It’s going to be a tough habit to break but my goal is to try to weigh myself once weekly – or just a lot less frequently.
PS if you’re a Mum and want to set some of your own health goals for this in a small and supportive community, join me for free here.
4. Letting anxiety define me
My anxiety does not define me – or, at least, I do not want it to.
2018 brought anxiety into my life with a bang and whilst it helped to name the new thoughts and behaviours that I had started to adopt (pre-cancer), I have started to let the term name me too.
I am an anxious person. Except I am not an anxious person but a person who sometimes has anxiety.
I’m not ashamed of it – I talk about my struggles with anxiety frequently on this space and in my Instagram stories. Anxiety is something that I know many of you struggle with too – and it helps me so much to know that I’m not alone with this.
However, as much as I know it’s something I will always struggle with, I don’t want having the anxiety to become a part of the negative self-talk in my first point.
If I’m honest, I’m struggling to articulate this to myself, let alone to you. I’ll keep trying in future posts – let me know if this is making sense to you though?
5. Being too still
It’s another health-related one – but I need to move more.
Apart from the fact that moving more will help me achieve the better health I’m seeking, I also realise I spend too much time inside.
I want to be more conscious of stepping away from my desk, walking and breathing in the fresh air. Feeling the sun on my skin, smelling the roses.
6. Decluttering
2018 was my biggest year for decluttering yet.
In 2019, I intend to fully embrace a life of less.
Affiliate links below.
I have re-read Marie Kondo’s “Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” for the third time and have even got the husband on board too. He’s a bit of a hoarder so it’s always been a challenge to get the whole family involved in getting rid of clutter.
I’m excited to remove the things we don’t need from our home to create more space for movement and energy.
Have you checked out Marie’s new show on Netflix?
You can buy The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying online here in Australia, here in the US and here in the UK.
7. Feeling guilty for prioritising my business
As you know, I’m a work-from-home, small business owner. More on that here.
My kids are both in school and daycare and for the last few years I’ve felt tremendous guilt at times for working when they are away from me.
Or sometimes, for working when they are with me.
I know ‘mum guilt‘ is something many of us face for many different reasons and whilst it isn’t right, it’s inevitable I suppose.
However, I think I need to give myself a break! I do not work in the evenings and I only occasionally work for a couple of hours at the weekend.
I spend a LOT of quality time with my children, I provide for them and I set a good example to them in many ways.
I’m telling myself this to reinforce the fact that I need to let up on the guilt and embrace these facts and that I am a person who enjoys my job.
8. Fear of pursuing my ideas
Did I mention anxiety?
Well, this can sometimes relate to what others think of me and the possible chance of me failing at something.
So what this means is that I’m paralysed sometimes in not pursuing my ideas or dreams and I limit myself to stay safe.
Whilst this is sometimes a good thing – well, I just don’t have the time and energy to do it all, I don’t want to let fear hold me back.
I think it comes down to confidence too. If I have an idea that I really believe in, I want to have the guts to just go for it and hold my head high when I share it with the world.
9. Mistrust
I don’t know when or why this started, but I have a fear of trusting new people.
I’ve been let down by family, friends and colleagues a few times in my life so I suppose it’s a reaction to that. Well, we all have, haven’t we?
I’d say I was a positive and optimistic person overall but I tend to automatically not trust someone until they have proven to me that I can.
That works to an extent – we all need to be cautious at times. But when that mistrust starts to lead to assuming bad intentions from others, unjustly, it’s not a good thing.
Perhaps this stems from anxiety again but also from habit.
I could go on, but for now I’m capping this list at nine.
How to Let Go
So, what am I doing about letting go of these 9 things?
I’ll share more this year but one proactive step I have taken is taking the advice of others.
I’ve recently taken up reading again – well, audiobooks to be exact – and I’ve been devouring self-help books at lightning speed!
I’ll share some of the books that I’ve been reading to improve my mental and physical health, my family life, finances and business.
That’s one of the things that’s already helping me knock out some of these bad habits.
However, I can’t change overnight, and so I’m working on letting go of these over time and freeing my mind and life up to let more positivity in.
What are your goals for 2019?
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