What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2021? I am sure many people ask themselves this question every year. Indeed it’s a great question to ask ourselves in the beginning of the year as we all want to have something to look forward to and get that sense of accomplishment.
2021 Will Probably Be Bumpy As Well
One of my personal prediction is that this year will probably be another bumpy year. Perhaps not in the same way as 2020 but the surprise element will not go away even in 2021. I don’t want to scare people by making any sensational statement but I think it’s better to be prepared than unprepared. Whether it’s the virus or economical changes, things will be unpredictable. Maybe this is just what life is.
I think it will remain vital for us to continue to look after our mental wellbeing. I believe the spiritual aspect is the most fundamental aspect and it can be done immediately with ease as long as you are willing. There is one mindset that I think is of particular relevance and will be crucial for 2021.
‘Focus On What We Can Control’ Will Be Key
The thing I’d like to look at is, ‘focus on the things we can control and let go of the things we cannot’. As 2020 demonstrated, life can get really chaotic and unpredictable. Inevitably there will be things that are simply out of our control. No matter how much we want things to be differently, some things are not up to us to decide. It’s very important to recognise this and let go of these things. The more we hang on to them, the more suffering we will face. Instead, we should focus on things we can control and do our best at those things. We don’t want to waste unnecessary energy on things we cannot change.
This is just a very simple hypothetical scenario but I hope it makes sense. Suppose a financial crisis or some kind of crisis happens this year (something out of our control) and you lose your job. Instead of focusing on how bad the economy (out of our control) is, it would make more sense if you started to look at the things you can do (within our control) to change your situation. Perhaps you could do some self-evaluation on what it is that you really want to do, or perhaps you could look at starting your own business. There are still many opportunities if we are willing to look at them. Most importantly, when we focus on the things that we can do, a sense of purpose and energy will arise within us. It’s a much better way to direct our energies to even if it’s just for efficiency.
Focus On What We Can Do And Stay Positive
I am not saying 2021 will be as crazy as 2020, but I think it’s always good to be resilient and mentally prepared for things. By focusing on the things we can control we allow ourselves to look for solutions and opportunities rather than dwelling on situations we have no control over. This should also add momentum to our sense of optimism. But this is not to say we should ignore reality and all the negativity that comes with it, we simply acknowledge and let go. We can treat it as a practice or something to keep in our minds in the things we do. With this in mind, let’s make it a year!