What I’m Leaving In 2016

As 2016 winds down and 2017 rapidly approaches, I took time to reflect on all that has happened this year in my life and around the world. It has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I laughed, cried, wasted time and also learned more about who I am as a person and the mark I want to leave on the world. 2016 taught me to let go and do the things I want to do without fear (still working on this) and to seek out the knowledge that this world has to offer. It also taught me that time waits for no-one and that I won’t have the life I want unless I create it.

A new year is a chance for a fresh start. Yes, we can begin a fresh start at any time, but a new calendar year is symbolic. A new set of 365 days represent a clean slate and is enough to motivate change. It is a great time to pause for reflection and take stock of what happened over the past year. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for creating resolutions or thinking about what changes you want to make for the new year. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for claiming the new year as your own! 

I don’t want to just tumble into the new year like I have in the past. I want to set myself up to make improvements by making intentional choices and setting goals. Instead of a list of resolutions, I’ve complied of list of bad habits that I am leaving behind and what I’m replacing them with. I’ve already started to change some of these habits, but I wanted to document exactly what I’m trying to do. I’ve also included affirmations that will help me along the way. Feel free to use them!

WHAT I’M LEAVING IN 2016

• Self – Doubt. Doubting myself has always been something I have struggled with. It has held me back from many things that I have wanted to do out of fea. Even though I am aware of the problem, I have never really taken steps to combat it. From now on, when I feel doubt, I will take time to think about those feelings and make conscious efforts to move past them. I will face the fear head on.
  Affirmation: I can do this. I will no longer be my own roadblock. 

• Allowing others to affect my energy negatively. I am constantly affected by the energy of those around me whether negative or positive. Toxic people drain me of my energy and put a damper on my mood. I have the power to not let them affect me. I will detach from these types of people in order to maintain my peace of mind.
  Affirmation: I am in control of my mood. 

• The thought that I don’t deserve to be happy. This is something I have carried with me my entire life. I am constantly putting others before myself. I feel guilty if I do things for myself. Practicing self care has helped me combat this and I will continue to implement new methods. Self care is not selfish and we all deserve our own happiness.
  Affirmation: I deserve happiness and it is not selfish to believe that. 

• The fear of expressing my feelings.  I have a fear of being misunderstood and because of this I internalize my feelings and just deal with whatever I am experiencing on my own. This becomes problematic because I end up crashing or projecting my feeligns onto those around me. I will work on communicating more effectively and stand up for myself when necessary. I will also journal more to get more comfortable with my own feelings.
  Affirmation: My feelings matter. I should not be ashamed of what I feel.   

• Spending hours on social media mindlessly scrolling. I cannot tell you how much time I have wasted in the black hole that is social media. It has ruined my mood on various occasions and fueled my procrastination. My goal is to replace social media with reading more books and making more art.

As you enter into the new year ask yourself these questions:

• What steps can I take to live a happier or more fulfilled life?
• In what ways do I hold myself back?
• How can I improve my mindset in 2017?

What are your goals for the new year? What are the steps you are taking to make them reality? I hope this list has inspired you to tak wish you a prosperous year full of growth and empowerment!