I attended a creativity session for Chicago Ideas Week a couple of months back and heard entrepreneur Jesse Itzler speak for the first time. He opened up his session saying this, “forget your bucket list and start living your *^ck it list.” Boom! That’s it.
Many are touting 2017 as a year of alignment and fresh perspective. I’ve already read a fair amount about how the energy atmosphere of the year will inspire people to seek the things that come natural to them, and become more fulfilled and authentic in their journey. We can’t help to be optimistic about such a positive perspective, right?
While some people have already started to make resolutions that will set them up for a prosperous 2017, others have resolved to make no resolutions at all, and committed to going with the flow.
Clearly there is no right or wrong way to go about it. It’s whatever works for you. To help either way, here are a few super simple tips anyone can do to declare and realize an amazing year:
1. Don’t take anything old with you. By old, I mean things no longer having purpose. Clutter is one of the great distractions of life. Clean out your car. Clean your kitchen (including the fridge). Clean your closet. Clean out your old files. And more importantly, clean out your mind. Anything you no longer need, or that simply isn’t serving you well, let it go as early in the year as possible. This includes people, places, things and thoughts. Rid yourself of negativity and strife and dare to declare newness and unlimited possibilities. And, if you’re the negative one…well…that’s another post for another day.
2. Establish mindful routines. In the morning, I meditate on a daily word. I practice stillness and allow my thoughts to flow freely. Then, I write without any filters or editing. At night, I drink a cup of tea to wind down and reflect on my gratitude for a day of opportunity and life. Figure out how to take a pause. Mindful routines are great because more often than not, we choose to do things that are nourishing to our soul. As the mindful routines develop into healthy habits, they replace the mind numbing habits that often trip us up — becoming a sturdy practice to keep us centered.
3. To thine own self be true. My dad said to me recently, “if you are true to yourself, you can’t be wrong to anyone else.” Amen. I had separate conversations with two of my closest friends recently about love, purpose and life. It seems deep but it was quite simple. We agreed that we most often know everything we need to know to make a confident and informed decision about just about anything going on in our lives. Yet, sometimes we delay out of fear, popular opinion, or the habitual pattern of not making decisions. This year, follow your heart and mind, they are surely seeking the same thing, and when rooted in genuine intentions and appropriately informed, they will not steer you wrong.
This is the year to go for it. Whatever it is for you. Jesse said it best. Kick the bucket list. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. One fearless experience leads to the next. And before you know it, you’re closer to living the life you always wanted. Cheers to an incredible 2017!
Originally published at medium.com