It is the beginning of a new year and the time when many people begin to reflect on the previous year. This when there are numerous thoughtful articles and TV shows devoted to looking back on the previous year, asking us to consider what we have learned, gained and lost from 2020. Here’s a thought: Let’s forget 2020 and move on.
I think we can all agree, 2020 was one of the worst years in our collective histories and one we’d rather forget. Thinking of going back in time and remembering what we suffered is asking for self-inflicting even more pain than necessary. Now more than ever, let’s move on. However, it may be easier said than done. This is when a determined strategy can help you mentally walk out of 2020 and into 2021, ready to once again feel a sense of hope.
Mind’s power
You are likely familiar with the concept of the mind and its power to influence how you feel and act in response to those feelings. But consider how powerful the human mind really is. While you are in control of your mind and directing your emotional reactions, you are responsible for ensuring that all vital organs and essential bodily functions function, unless of course there is some kind of physical disability. This is quite an impressive responsibility for the mind to coordinate on its own and without your direct input. The mind is also capable of learning, as evidenced by its ability to complete new tasks and acquire new knowledge and skills.
What also makes the mind powerful is its ability to receive and transmit thoughts. We are always thinking, even during a meditative state when some form of thought still exists. Those thoughts can consist of anything from evaluating the details of a current project, to interacting with our surroundings, to thinking about any random thing that comes to mind. The mind is receiving and processing information from all the senses, determining what is important and needs more attention, while discarding any information deemed irrelevant. What normally determines relevance is a matter of context and how useful or necessary the information may be. If the information is useful, it is stored in long-term and working memory for current and future use. What all this means is that the mind is always working, with thoughts always present.
Engaging 2021: Full steam ahead
When you understand that the mind is powerful and is always producing thoughts, you become aware of the possibility of thinking about the past. This is especially true at a time of year when we are all reminded of what happened in 2020 and are being asked to think of it as a point of reflection and learning. To make sure you’re focused on the future and thinking productively, the following strategies can help you. You may find one or all of them helpful, whenever you find yourself stuck in a loop of repetitive thoughts from the painful past, or need to address any kind of unpleasant thought.
Strategy One: Create Lessons Learned
One of the most likely thoughts you’ll find yourself thinking about this time of year, and probably being asked to think about, is something to do with the past. While there are many happy memories to be found in the past, there are memories that can interrupt your thought process and remind you of mistakes, regrets, and other negative events. When you feel uncomfortable due to thoughts about something where you feel you made a wrong decision, were disappointed or any kind of “should have” scenario, this is the time to change your thinking.
You do this by deciding not to fight the thought, but to create a lesson learned from it. This will help you spend less time dwelling on specific incidents, especially when those negative thoughts want to repeat themselves in an endless cycle. Take the thought from the past and meet it head-on. What can you learn from it? Be honest about it so you can address it and resolve it. By solving it I don’t mean to say that you will necessarily find answers; however, it will prevent the thoughts from having power as you will now have something productive associated with each one.
Strategy Two: Turn Thoughts Into Goals
When you find yourself thinking about something unproductive that is disrupting your day, making a change depends on what your frame of reference is and what you want to achieve. Some of the most unproductive thoughts that can disrupt your day and your mood are those that involve thoughts of failure, or anything where you felt unsuccessful and didn’t accomplish what you hoped to do. Those particular thoughts, if left unchecked, can create feelings of frustration, disappointment, resentment, and more. It can create a cycle of negativity that disrupts your life.
Whenever you find yourself thinking about something of this nature, you can do more than spin this thought, you can turn it into a goal. For example, if you feel you were unsuccessful in some aspect of your career, boil it down to a specific statement about what you can improve to be successful in the future. You will then be able to develop a goal with measurable objectives and an action plan for achieving it. Maybe you need to learn a new skill, acquire new knowledge, make a new plan, develop new strategies or any other related possibilities. The point is to turn the thoughts that may be weighing heavily on your mind into a productive exercise, with the purpose of transforming your way of thinking.
Strategy Three: Finding Hope in a Place of Fear
There is a third type of negative thinking that can arise whenever you reflect on the past, are faced with an unknown situation or circumstance, or feel out of control. This is fear-based thinking, which can also have a physiological effect on you, depending on the circumstances of the event involved.
What I would like to address is a fearful thought that arises as a result of self-reflection or thinking about the past. A feeling of fear, and even panic or anxiety, can arise when thinking about past events. This is especially true now for those who are struggling with circumstances and only think about the decisions they made in the past. No matter how many times someone tells you not to be afraid, fear can always stay on your mind.
So how do you find hope when everything you’re thinking about produces feelings of fear? You can’t go from fear to hope like turning a light switch on and off. It must be a conscious effort made, a decision to gradually release fear. To do this, you must have a belief system to support a change. Try the following steps.
First ask yourself: What is the basis of my fear?
This will allow you to peek behind the curtain, so to speak. You’ll take the mystery out of fear-based emotion.
Once you’ve addressed what the fear is, you can ask yourself: Is this fear based in reality?
Maybe you are afraid of not being able to pay your rent this month and this is all you can think about. You have decided that this is based on reality.
The next step is to ask yourself: How can I go from feeling scared to feeling productive?
One of the most effective methods to stop the cycle of negativity, regarding feelings of fear, is to find its cause and then turn it into something productive. What is fear based on and what can you do to become productive? What you are actually doing is giving yourself a renewed sense of hope as you find a way to resolve the reason for the fear itself. From fear, hope can shine.
Make happiness a priority
I want this new year to be a year of renewal for our country and, more importantly, I want the beginning of the new year to represent hope. The best way to move forward now is to think about the future, about the possibilities before us. If you find yourself reflecting on the past, focus on the memories of friends and family who brought you happiness and love. This helps set a positive mood. If you feel negative thoughts, consider the suggested strategies and remember that the mind has a transformative force that can be used to help make significant changes in your life.
While you are waiting for changes in society and medicine, you can already start changes in your attitude and disposition. You already have a source of well-being and resilience within you, and it is managed by the most powerful form of energy available to you, your mind. It’s time to control, alter and erase 2020. Commit yourself to moving forward into 2021, starting with the power of your mind, and make the beginning of this year the best you can, as you can. When you make happiness a priority and direct your mind to maintain it, you are sure to be ready for the new year.