As we enter a new year, we all have goals, dreams, and aspirations. For me, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions, I have a “theme” or specific words that I use as a guide to the new year. This word is based on what happened in the previous year and something I need to work on, this year it’s “Intentional”.
A Mindset Change Can Change Your Life
With that being said, I knew I had to have a mindset change which meant the Aquarius in me got into deep research and started looking for people who have had success from a mindset change, books to read, habits to cultivate, and how to actually have a mindset change. The most interesting thing I found is that it all starts with ME, and my intentions (that’s my 2023 theme “Intentional”). Since last year, I felt like I was in a rut and I was doing the same things over and over again and was looking for a way out to ensure my life had meaning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not being morbid, it’s just I’m at that age where whatever I do, has to make sense as it will affect how things are for the rest of my life.
Finding a Job In a Positive Environment
The first thing I will be doing is being intentional about finding a job that has purpose, and integrity and is in a positive environment that fosters growth. This has been the hardest thus far as I’m looking to get out of Digital Marketing, at least here in Jamaica as those jobs have been the most toxic. My very first Digital Marketing job saw me having severe anxiety and workplace PTSD as things were so horrible. The only thing positive that came from that job is that I was finally able to go to the gym, change my diet and have a complete lifestyle change. In order to fix this, I’ve been looking for opportunities that have a proven track record of being people-focused where employees are treated as actual human beings vs numbers in a system. Pay transparency is another major factor; if a company cannot tell me how much they pay upfront, that is not the job for me. Another thing I’m looking for is a job that starts and ends at a specific time. In Digital Marketing that is not the case as people call and text all day every day at various hours without a thought that it is well outside working hours.
Having a Closer Relationship With God
Also on my list was having a closer relationship with God, this will mean I will have to go to Church on Sundays, Bible Study during the Week, and also Youth Service. This has not yet happened as I’m always extremely exhausted at work and I find myself sleeping In on Saturdays and Sundays which leaves no time for any of that. The one thing I can start with is going to church for at least 2 Sundays for the month just to ensure I’ve created a natural rhythm and habit.
Being Better with My Finances
Let’s just say 2022 was my best and worst year, there was a period of the year where I was making close to 1 Million Jamaican Dollars per month, which saw me working 2 Full-time jobs at the same time in addition to taking on Freelance clients. Of course, something had to give as I was on the 4th burnout episode and decided to give up both full-time jobs and kept my freelance clients. This saw my waking up refreshed instead of always being tired but it was also the most broke I’ve been. With more money comes more problems and this saw me taking out 2 loans to fund my business which went into equipment which I was paying a significant amount each month, plus credit cards. I plan on making things right in this regard by Getting a Financial Advisor, Finding a job that pays more, Raising my prices or getting an additional freelance client, paying off the loans before they are due, and making more than the minimum payment. I will also not be taking out any other loans. This will be my most difficult challenge this year, but with faith and a plan, I know I will be able to overcome it.
Getting Better a Specific Skills
I remember a former boss saying ” The best way to change your mind is to read”. There are a few popular books I’ve invested in which include Atomic habits and Big Magic and a few more that have been extremely difficult to read. Again, time and exhaustion have not been in my favor. I plan on finishing/reading 1 book per month versus trying to cram all the books into 1 month. My goal with reading these books is to apply the knowledge to various areas of my life and not just it being a trend on Social Media.
Being a Better Blogger
The thing I love the most has been the most challenging! I remember there was a time when Blogging was like second nature and I would put out a quality Blog post daily, but that has not been happening. The difference between then and now Is that I really went for it and I also had help. I find that my job takes a lot of time which leaves very little time for me to do anything else. In order to go back to “the good old days of Blogging”, I plan on producing 3 Blog Posts per week and also introducing new formats like Podcasting and YouTube to add some diversity just to keep things more interesting. As I’m also with a new management company, I will be pulling out all the stops to make my first $1,000 from this network and then keep improving as the months go by. I actually created a Digital Marketing Strategy for the Blog in 2022 and started using a few things from it and saw some improvement, but will be intentional and consistent in order to see real results.
I know that these things will not happen overnight and will require a lot of work, but I have made up my mind to do whatever it takes to change my life to ensure I’m living a life that I can be proud of.
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve had a Mindset change and what were the results
