The Inspiration
I watched this video a few days before the New Year. I recommend you watch it, too.
To summarize for those of you who aren’t link clickers, it’s basically Rob Dyrdek saying that he never wants to get to a “reactive” place in 2023, and explaining that doing so will require a high level of discipline. My podcast preferences tend to lean more towards True Crime than privileged men spouting “motivational” buzzwords, but this one spoke to me. Scrolling through the comments, I saw many who interpreted Rob’s message as needing to work harder, grind harder, and go bigger. What I got out of it was so different. And it’s shaped my goal for 2023:
The Goal
In 2023, I never want to get to that low, terrible, reactive place.
The Guidelines
And to do so, will require discipline. Here are 5 guidelines I’ve set for how I plan to live my life in 2023.
- In 2023, I will be respectful of my own boundaries. I will not stretch myself beyond my capacity to accommodate the desires of others. I’ll give myself the grace to say no and not feel guilty. I will indulge in rest when rest is needed.
- In 2023, I will not allow others’ energy to influence my own. I tend to take on other people’s stress, their drama, and even their emotions. This year, I will hold space for my own energy, and no one else’s.
- In 2023, I will live freely. With no strings, no bonds, and without allowing outside forces to shape the direction of my life. I will go with the flow.
- In 2023, I will enjoy the journey. Whether I feel I am “on track” or not, I will know that each twist and turn in my life is leading me to exactly where I need to be, when I need to be there.
- In 2023, I will enjoy the small moments, I will find joy in quiet moments with friends. See the value in the quiet nights in as much as the once-in-a-lifetime moments I will inevitably experience. I will live each day fully in the moment, no matter where the day takes me, realizing that each experience, no matter how mundane, is a gift.
I know that some of these guidelines might seem hokey or even unattainable. Or maybe to you, they sound obvious. But I know how I feel and how I act when I allow myself to get caught up in what I “think” I should be doing, or how I “think” I should be living. I know that I’ve allowed myself to get caught up in unnecessary drama from outside forces that has actually shaped the direction of my life and how I live. And I know that when I am that person, living that life, I am unhappy, unsettled, and unmotivated. I deserve a chance to live my best life, and I plan to do that in 2023.
I hope that all of you can find guidelines important to you and refocus your life in 2023 so that you can live the best life that you are capable of this year.
