Overcoming Post-Holiday Doldrums: A Symphony of Self-Trust, Realignment, and Remastering Life

As the holiday season fades into memory, we return to our everyday routines. But are you feeling a little... deflated? You're not alone. The post-holiday blues often leave us feeling uninspired, unmotivated, and apathetic rather than excited about a new year. But fear not! Our melody can help you strike the right chord and regain your rhythm. It's all about reflecting, realigning, and remastering!

Reflect, Recalibrate, and Realign Your Values
Firstly, let's take a moment to reflect. Ask yourself: What are my core values? Are my current and planned actions reflecting these values? Perhaps reflection will bring insight that your values have shifted, and you are ready to recalibrate your GPS and set a new direction.

Often, we find ourselves caught in the hustle and bustle, losing sight of what truly matters to us. Now is the perfect time to realign ourselves with our core values. This realignment is a compass or a GPS, guiding us towards fulfillment and away from apathy. Check out our Encore Blog series on Values and Vision for more insights on the shifts as we live longer Encore Blogs on Values and Vision.

Prepare a Statement of Self-Worth that supports a healthy self-perception of your value. Self-worth and self-value are two closely intertwined terms frequently used interchangeably. Possessing a sense of self-worth implies recognizing your value. Having a sense of self-value implies acknowledging your worthiness. The distinctions between the two are minor. Both terms convey the same overarching concept of self-regard in developing emotional intelligence. Self-regard is a healthy expression of how you feel about yourself, "flaws and all".

Your Statement of Self-Worth summarizes a wellness account of all areas of your life: financial, physical and mental health, relationships, career and purpose, etc.
 

Set SMARTER Goals
Next, let's talk about goals. Do I hear a sigh and "Yuck, not again and please, not SMART goals!"

Most likely you have been inundated with blogs and articles on goal setting in the first week of the year. But stay with me on this one. I am not promoting just any goals. I am not promoting annual goal-setting. I promote "Doing it differently."

Firstly, I encourage you to adopt SMARTER goals – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, EXCITING, and RISKY. These aren't just buzzwords. This acronym is a blueprint for remastering your life. Who wants to set "same old" and "boring" goals with the all-too-familiar expectation that our excitement and enthusiasm fade and the all-too-familiar sense of failure kicks in once again to erode our self-trust? NOT ME!

As I live longer, I want goals that motivate me to kick up my heels and lighten up my life with a realistic expectation that every day brings excitement and risk, further validating my capability and capacity to do what's best for me.

Start with a Sprint. Plan for Sustainable Success
Scrap the Annual Goal Plan. You'll find more motivation and meaning by aligning your goals with your values for the next three months: the next 12 weeks. Even everyday tasks will align better with your values during this shorter sprint. Remember, your goals are yours and must resonate with who you are and where you want to be at each interval and phase.

Refute the Hustle Culture
Finally, let's address the elephant in the room - the hustle culture. It's everywhere, urging us to do more, achieve more, and be more. But here's a little secret: Like the "Do the Hustle" dance craze of the 70s, the hustle culture is on its way out. Yes, you heard it right.

The hustle culture has caused us to feel overwhelmed or pressured to be productive constantly. Even productivity gurus now recognize and acknowledge how the hustle culture has been harmful leading to burnout and unhappiness. Let's refute this hustle culture. Instead, let's

• Be realistic in assessing our capacity.
• Remaster our lives, careers, and businesses based on quality versus quantity.
• Build self-trust and commit to self-care. Take breaks, practise self-compassion, and listen to our needs.
• Trust that we make the right decisions for ourselves in life, work, career, and business. Commit to taking care of yourself – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually.
• Trust that you know what is best for yourself, and don't compare your progress or journey to others'.

Refuting the hustle culture also means recognizing that success looks different for everyone. It's important not to get caught up in society's definition of success but rather focus on what makes us happy and fulfilled according to our own values.

Final Words

Let's wave goodbye to the post-holiday blues and say hello to a more fulfilled and motivated you. Reflect on your values, realign your goals, and refute the hustle culture. You've got this. You understand what drives you; you have reassessed and perhaps shifted your values; and you have recalibrated your GPS.

YOU are capable. You are ready to remaster life in pursuit of self-actualization.

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