Wishing you success, good health and happiness in 2015. May you be safe from the kind of violence that Islamic terrorists have unleashed on Paris this week. I will be writing more on that on my other blog here. (It is not politically correct so don’t go there if conservative opinions offend you).
After a two-week break, it’s time to get this blog moving again. To break the inertia that always sets in for me after a period of idleness and especially Christmas which I find a difficult time of year for many reasons.
With the time I had to devote to the corn harvest from late November until the week before Christmas, I did not fully explore the topic of stoicism. I will be writing more about it in the weeks ahead.
I did find this article on aeon “Why stoicism is one of the best mind hacks – ever” by Larry Wallace and this one “If 2015 is already stressing you out…” on theconversation.com
Both articles are worth reading and show that the philosophy of stoicism is often misunderstood in our modern world with its infatuation for entitlement and instant gratification.
The articles include quotes by Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius that are relevant to living in a period of uncertainty and upheaval as many are experiencing now.
I urge you to read both articles.
Back to the title for this post. Will you see the bad news, Islamic terrorism, ISIS, the effects on the economy of a low oil price among others, as a sign of a period of adversity? Or will you forge ahead this year making the most of the opportunities that are the other side of the adversity coin. Low fuel prices for car owners, being one good example.
I know what I will be doing, the bad news creates a market for a new venture I am embarking on, more about that in future posts.
I am also acutely aware that the old guy in the graphic at the top is looking at me with increasing interest because this is the year that I will be turning 65, the age when I would be supposed to retire if I were in a conventional job. Too much to do and even if I am lucky enough to live to my late mother’s 90 years, I am aware how quickly the remaining years will fly past.
This year I did not spend as much time on analysing last year as I have done before, yes I celebrated the wins and learned from the things that did not turn out as well as planned, but I did not agonise over it. Acknowledge and move on seems a better idea.
And yes, I wrote out 3 life goals, my goals for the year, next 90 days and this week. Each evening, I will write action lists for the next day and on Sunday evenings, I will schedule my time for each day of the following week in 30 minute slots. Those have all worked well for me over the last year.
A new idea that I am following this year is Chris Brogan’s idea of having 3 words to live by for the year.
Mine are:
Intention – I know that I waste time on activities that I had not intended doing, but have been sidetracked into while working on something else. This year I will ask myself what my intention is when ever I am about to leave my intended path.
Focus – Focusing more intently on the few important things I need to do gets results, being scattered does not.
Commitment – I do not have a problem setting goals and making plans, I am not so good at always taking the necessary action to make them happen. I need to remind myself why I set the goals and how my life will improve when I meet them, when ever I feel my commitment wavering.
Share your thoughts on whether 2015 will bring adversity or opportunity, stoicism or goal setting in a comment.
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Hmmm Very thoughtful post. This is probably the first time since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis I really feel fear. And it is all because of Islamist Terrorism combined with the weakest President of the USA in decades.
On a personal level my goals are simple: to live, love, and laugh.
The more of your writing I read Roberta, the more I think you achieve those 3 wonderful goals consistently and enjoyably.