Reset With Syd's Systems
My Step-by-Step Guide to a New Life:
Evaluate the Present
Take an inventory of your time and your life as it exists today. What is working, what could be better, and where are you at emotionally, mentally, and spiritually?
Plan the Journey
The key to setting goals is making the steps along the way measurable and attainable. If I have a goal to run a marathon, but never schedule when I'm going to start practicing running, I'll never run the marathon. Goals without action are just dreams; they go just as fast as they come and have no guarantee of coming true. Be precise in your goal setting and stop overgeneralizing! If you pull up Google Maps for the turn-by-turn directions of a place you already know how to get to, why wouldn’t you want that same reassurance for foreign territory?
MAKE. A. PLAN !!!!!
Create your Vision
Eeek! This is the fun part. I'm sure you’ve heard of a vision board before. People compile a collage of images for the life they seek, but I'm here to tell you they really work! Whether through manifestation, the law of attraction, good old-fashioned prayer, or whatever floats your boat, visualizing your goals is a crucial part of the process.
Use Canva and Pinterest for a digital option, or collect some magazines and grab a glue stick. By any means necessary, you should VISUALIZE YOUR GOALS, and continuously refer back to them throughout the year.
Implement your Goals Daily
I'm not going to sugarcoat it; most people fail at this step. Not because they don’t want it or because they forgot to make a vision board, but because they are not disciplined enough to see their goals become reality. I am guilty of this too!
Every consistent gym goer knows about the sudden rise of people in the gym during the month of January, and as you get closer to February and March, the numbers go back to what they were before. I read a quote somewhere that says, "You can either experience the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The choice is yours." So as you plan your year ahead, my question is, which are you choosing?
Syd's Systems
In the pursuit of reaching my highest potential, I have spent countless hours looking at every personal development post on Instagram, and all the inspirational quotes on Pinterest. I’ve spent time watching dedicated YouTube channels on wellness, listening to hours of Jay Shetty on Spotify, and reading countless blogs and books that would tell me how to be my best self. I have been scouring for answers now that I know what my goals are.
The truth is, while I have learned a lot, nothing has given me exactly what I was looking for. I have received helpful advice, but nothing screams, "Sydney, do this, and you will be a superhero.”
Because of this, I developed my own method of doing a reset. I try to set goals in each of these areas.
Mental Health
Physical Health
Spiritual Health
Finance/Career
Personal Development/Education
Social/Relationships
Giving back
My Mental Health Defensive Playbook
Calm – THE BEST INVESTMENT!! I highly recommend getting the premium version of Calm. I get not wanting to pay for apps, in most cases I refuse! However, when it comes to my health, it's a no-brainer. What better investment than one for your mental health, that has multiple resources in one? There is a multitude of meditations, guided breath work sessions, body exercises, sleep-bedtime stories, and more. There are four daily check-in options: Emotion tracker, gratitude tracker, sleep tracker, and my favorite daily reflection.
A good alternative is Headspace
Thought Diary – This is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy journaling app and emotional tracker. Perfect if you have always wanted to journal, but don't have time to write long form pages. You can set reminders for check-ins and practice CBT with curated exercises!
Daily Bean – Besides being an aesthetically pleasing widget for your phone, Daily Bean is a straightforward way of tracking your day. Categories like emotions, social, health, sleep, a photo of the day, and a journaling section too.
Five-Minute Journal – Practice mindfulness and gratitude.
Jesus Calling – I start my morning with an encouraging word and a biblical food for thought.
Bible App – Daily verses, guided prayers, curated bible studies, and more.
I am — Customizable daily affirmations app that changes up to 10x a day. I have a widget on my phone that will send me alerts. It's nice to have a positive notification sporadically in my day.
Take all of this with a grain of salt, and don’t feel overwhelmed! Change does not happen overnight, but it is possible.
Every day you have two choices: PIVOT or REPEAT
Time is so precious; tomorrow is not promised! If we learned anything from the pandemic, it’s to consider every day a blessing!! Why waste that precious opportunity by living an ordinary life that leaves you unsatisfied and wishing it could be better?
Take the leap, and make a change even if it’s minimal because your future self will thank you :)
With love,
