Many of us have plans for this year, be they direct, such as home educating for the first time and making the most of that, or somewhat of an overarching principle, like learning to be more grateful and stop mistaking cynicism for insight.
Yet the truth is, all of our resolutions come from the idea that if we want to be better and enjoy a better life, we have to act in a more dignified, worthwhile manner. That’s a fundamentally good idea, and it certainly beats blaming the world for our inability to change, even if we had justifiable reasons to do so.
Yet it’s also the case that improving yourself for the new year can only really succeed if you know who you are and what you’d like to improve. Many people find themselves with a strong sense of identity and belonging, and that’s wonderful. Some, however, don’t. For this reason, it can be helpful to think of how to find ourselves in 2022 and beyond, what shape that might take, and to what degree we can ‘do the work’ in order to give our future actions more insight.
It’s this we’d like to tackle. Let’s get started:
Ask Yourself What You Want
A good way to find out who you are is to figure out what it is you really want. This probably won’t be a material good, but an experience, or a life outcome. For instance, perhaps you wish to spend this year trying to reconnect with your sibling, or extended family. Perhaps a mistake made not too long ago has been moving around in your mind, and makes you want to try again. These wants can make you think about what to do next, and how to behave.
Ask Who’s Coming With You
Of course, we all get to decide who we wish to bring along in our journey. Who do you wish to invest your time into this year? Might it be that you wish to spend more time with your children, drawing back your overtime and work responsibilities a little more now you have the freedom to do so? Perhaps it’s time to get back into the dating field just to see what’s out there, and to give yourself a new experience. Little social decisions like this can make a major difference.
Ask How You Can Be That Person
How can you be that person? What person, you might ask? Well, the person who you’re always wanting to be. The hint here is that you don’t have to have all the answers. It might just be that in thinking ‘yes, I need to think about how to live as my best self’ you automatically start embodying behaviors that the best version of you would, such as being polite, remaining optimistic, getting your work done in the morning and exercising, visiting the local dentist to care for your health, and managing your stress with diligence nad care.
Sometimes, a little self-examination can help you understand what is really important to you, and that which you’re willing to change. Questioning if what you’re doing now is making you feel strong or weak can also be a great indicator. It might sound overly simple, but this can work wonders, so give it a try.
With this advice, we believe you’ll be able to find yourself in 2022, as you hope to.
