Written by: Ilaria Storch, Senior Level Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Well done, you amazing soul! You are navigating into a new year, after all, we must follow the calendar. Yet. There is also your internal calendar – the one that says when you are inspired to do something, or not, the one that knows who you really are. The more we work and go about our daily lives, one can't help but notice how much information and noise is out there, and even more directions on what we are “supposed” to do, or where to go. Time to hear yourself, get your feelings and your routines aligned on your track.
1. Downsize the Drama
This one is an everlasting exercise, even if you were not born into an Italian family, like your coach here, the Latin style may sometimes take hold of you, with some flying pillows and some Leo drama. The good part is that it can be used as fuel to act towards bigger decisions and dreams – once you chill down and star building a plan.
Feeling your emotions is as vital as having a plan of action, they are both interrelated. Keep your amazing personality, yet play down the drama, for your sake and those around you. Try sports, time alone, not taking immediate decisions, unless it's an emergency, of course, and let time be your friend when dealing with emotions.
2. Grow Your Positive Actions and Feelings
When facing a new year, or semester ahead, I find it useful to think in chunks of time. Even if you love micromanaging your business, family, kids, and vacations, give yourself permission to change your mind, or your plan – the well-known vison board, or planner, works very well for details – I would suggest adding a “drone view” on that. Like using one colour for a big chunk of tasks, or page, or even circling a whole goal and its topics, together.
Fantastic ideas for the new year come in many ways and when you have them displayed like a chain of mountains first, in front of you, with different colours, you'll feel positive that the big picture will look lovely and work just fine, even if not all tasks are completed.
3. Travel Triggers
After work and major life changes, it seems like travelling is a huge trigger – for good emotions and overwhelms too! Everyone has a story of how that amazing trip was just perfect, or not so much, with flight delays, and all. Or when after travelling for almost a month with your partner, your hand luggage disappeared at the train station. While you went a minute to the bathroom. And when you came back, your partner had chatted with some folks who were asking for information, the same that apparently snatched away the bag. With the camera and more than 200 lovely pictures of the trip. Gone.
Give yourself a moment and remind yourself that the memories of that vacation will be with you forever. And material things are just that, stuff. There is so much to be grateful for, and arriving late sometimes, or even having plans cancelled is part of the journey, to also make you stronger and more flexible. If possible, try to see the humour in a situation because, generally speaking, we can control very little.
4. Choose Two Emotions to Deal With
Sometimes it's a case of showing more of your emotions, and other times, you must season them better. First decide whether you have been holding on so tight to feelings, that you get stuck at work, or with talking to family. If you're holding grudges, or want a conversation about moving ahead at work, or finally booking your vacation, time to speak up. Practice alone at home, or with a trusted friend, or mastermind and coach, to release the tension, and then move on to the real thing – take a bold step into next year, by being a better, braver you. Here in the above situation, you can choose, for example, to deal with procrastination and courage.
On the other hand, if you feel your heart is on your sleeves, all the time, you might want to find other opportunities to show all your emotions. Like in a movie, dancing, arts, writing, exercise. One excellent exercise to help you here is to practice being very objective and rational when talking to people – try being very to the point, even economizing words – until you find a good conversation style that balances you wanting to show some emotion, yet not feeling drained after it, or flooding the other person. Here you might want to work on sensitivity and rationality.
5. Declutter Your Mind
Exactly! Emotions run wild when you're overstressed, overdoing and just not giving your mind and body time to unwind and relax. Whether you're a CEO, a mom to toddlers, and pets, or both, a struggling, or successful, entrepreneur, we are all trying to make sense of the next steps in a very fast world and economics – the speed has literally become almost invisible.
Even when you are a nomad working in front of a sunny beach, or living in a more than 12 million people city, like where I live, very noisy and crowded, you must change environment and see new things. Change your routines for some days, or weeks.
Yes, you are unique and important, and loved, and creative, yet allow yourself some time to feed into less Information, go quiet for a while, turn off the news and social media and just give your body and mind time to wander.
6. Review Your Travel Dreams
You may be surprised, yet some people did not travel much, or at all, during their childhood up to their young adulthood lives. Yes, I was one of them! And I am confident to say that as much as I desired to see the world, I was always so grateful of being born into a loving family, who invested in our education, giving us the tools to then pursue our dreams.
That is why it's important you get clear on your travel dreams too – you may want to travel for study, vacations, or family time. And you may not even want to budge right now. It's alright if you exercise your mind to imagine new places and expand your heart to understand and see that there are many different ways to live our lives on his world. Relive the places you've been, feel grateful for those experiences and plan for new things ahead – seeing new landscapes and people will inspire you to improve relationships, change jobs, start a business, and a family, hire help, reorganize your home, and so much more.
For the next year ahead, use your feelings and emotions as fuel to move forward, think differently, and not to get stuck or overwhelmed. Make your desire to change a current reality into a beautiful plan to go bigger, ask for help, get your partner, friends, and family on board, if you so wish, and release your inner nomad, with feelings as tools to help you get there.
Lots of love! Life is Nomadic by Essence! Helping you navigate major life transitions with confidence towards your big goals and best life, wherever you are! Remember to get your “Free 7 Tips to Feel at Home Anywhere” on the site.
Read more on feeling human, safe, and adventurous, by interconnecting with different generations on this article.
Ilaria Storch, Senior Level Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ilaria Storch, a Life Coach Nomad, is the creator of Life Coach Nomads, where she shares her passion for travel and for inspiring people everywhere to access their true center and find more connection and energy on the way to more joy, fun, and fulfillment. She practices that following your emotions, wrapped up in a personal structure that can connect your goals, desires, and love, is the path to all real and true growth. Wherever you are, change is nomadic by essence, and it takes time, support and starts inside you when you absolutely desire to develop yourself and move on. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising, speaks many languages, won a Fashion Illustration Award during College, and loves coaching her clients towards their expressive life journey.
