Having new years resolutions is one of the most common thing we do before the year ends and as part of welcoming the new year, however, this becomes also one of the things we don't follow even before the year starts. We literally list down things we want to change or apply to make the new year better, it can be effective to some but for me it is not something that can encourage me to apply real change. I have tried it year after year and it seems that it does not end they way I want it. I know some of you can really relate to this as of course who does not want to have a fresh start?
The new year signifies, new life, new opportunities and the chance to start again. It's a wonderful time to begin and look forward to the new you. While creating this blog, I was browsing my Instagram account and I saw a post from Ben Meer and his IG account @SundaySystem. For those who does not know him, Ben Meer is life coach and author that shares free insights on self development, technology, and high performance living, he can teach you on how you can reach your full potential by following simple steps.
I have started to follow Ben Meer since August, as my boss shared his Instagram account and daily I find myself excited about what he is about to post on his Instagram account and have subscribed to his newsletter. The bite-size information I get has helped me change my personal growth and accelerate my career. This coming 2023, I am gonna share the 5 effective strategies I have followed from Ben Meer and a breakdown of why it is powerful and why you can try them to make 2023 the best year of your life!
1. Be Financially Responsible (50-30-20 Rule)
Being financially responsible can be a real challenge, as most of us are geared toward the idea and reward system whenever we receive our salaries. There is nothing wrong with rewarding and splurging once in a while, and sometimes once in a while it becomes very often. I am very guilty of being financially irresponsible for the past 10 years, now that I have become a parent, I became more conscious of how I spend my money and what to prioritize first.
I followed the 50-30-20 rule, and to my surprise, it is very effective. As you can see on this structure 50% of your budget focuses on your needs, such as housing, food, transpiration, basic utilities, and insurance. The 30% focuses on wants, which is great as you do not deprive yourself of being able to get what you want after a hard day's work. 20% is intended for savings, emergency funds, and whatever you need for unprecedented events that you may need to get cash.
Having your budget allocated is a great way to start your 2023 and be able to be financially responsible which will lead to financial stability. With my experience, 3 months into applying this rule, I can pay off 45% of my debt, have prioritized our basic needs, be able to save and have emergency funds, and enjoy the fruit of my labor. This powerful system can be for everyone and you can try it now and see how this structure can lead you to financial freedom.
2. Beat Perfectionism (70-20-10 Rule)
"If you are avoiding failure, you are avoiding success."
The phrase has such a huge impact on me that it has inspired me to embrace failure and look at it as a learning experience. Especially in terms of our careers/work, we tend to have this perfectionist mindset. 99% of the time, I am drawn to my perfectionist attitude, wherein I want it to be done in a certain way, in short, it's my way or the high way. But then you eventually realize, that there is no such thing as perfect, and failure is part of success. We fail because we did not know any better, after that we learn and we execute it better.
According to Ben Meer, the 70-20-10 rule means: 70% of your work will be mediocre, and not all jobs will be fun, during working, even if it's your dream job you will hit a wall and question if you have made the right decision, and that's okay!
20% will suck. Sometimes, yes it will suck, you will get overwhelmed, lost in the process, and confused, and 10% will be amazing! Success is not all sparkles and fun, truth be told it can be a very hard road to traverse. One thing I realized is it's not easy to beat this mindset, however, you can embrace it slowly and see how it changes your perspective.
3. Be Productive (3-3-3 Plan)
Productivity is a challenge to almost everyone, in my experience being a working parent I find myself juggling work and being able to take care of my toddler. It can be hard if you do not try to stick to a plan, for other who do not have kids, this can be a challenge too as sometimes you will find yourself be all around the place and not really achieving nor finishing something, which leaves you at the end of the day very stressed and no peace of mind.
I have tried the 3-3-3 plan recently, as I do struggle with productivity and this leaves me with no peace at night thinking of tasks that I have missed out before I slept or even the personal projects I wanted to do but has been stuck on my calendar for 3 weeks, and that just definitely sucks! The 3-3-3 plan can be applied to your work and your personal life. Personally I love the 3-3-3 plan during my off days, as I intend the 3 hours for house chores, like doing the laundry, doing the dishes, and doing some general cleaning. 3 Short tasks I do are my personal time, read a book, throwing stuff I do not use anymore, and whatever short task I can think of, and lastly 3 maintenance activities, this are the usual top 3 things I do, organize my babies clothes, spend mommy and baby time, and have family time.
I find this productive as it gives me time to do the things I need at home and enables me to have personal time for myself and my family. Routine is important if you are setting goals and if you want to save time, the 3-3-3 plan is a must try!
4. Learn To Say "NO"
The word NO has gotten a bad rep for a long time, as it has always been received with a negative connotation however according to Ben Meer, being able to say NO to non-priorities can help you set your 2023 better.
Normalizing saying NO means being able to identify the things that you should focus your energy on. The pandemic has certainly taught me to make a firm NO to things I do not find a priority, like taking on huge projects that I do not have time to do or social gatherings that I am sometimes just forced to attend because it's the norm.
You are not rude for saying NO, it's a form of self-preservation. If you say yes to everything, this ruins your plans and your schedule, and you might end up sacrificing the things you need to prioritize. At first, saying no was very hard, and I always ended up saying ok or yes, but when I gradually started to say NO, then it all made sense, I can now deal with the important things and just simply have the non-priorities at a later time. Try the NO default and observe the changes by setting your priorities.
5. Actively Learning From Your Mistakes
Always take time to assess and be active in learning from your mistakes. It is normal for us to make mistakes, but we make sure we do not do them more than once.
Being able to do an assessment whenever we make mistakes is one of the best strategies I have found on Ben Meer's page. Sometimes we are too focused on the mistake that we forget to see past it. I tried the action review after a mistake I made.
whether at work or even in my personal life and I see that it is quite effective. Taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture makes you focus on improvement rather than focusing on the problem. Before discovering this method, I am just so fixated on why I made the mistake and not focusing on trying to improve. By using this method I realized that even by making mistakes we can still be successful without learning from our mistakes we can't be better.
Have You Planned Your 2023 Yet?
Counting the days till 2023, have you planned your best ever year yet? Or you need some inspiration? You can try the 5 powerful strategies from Ben Meer and see what works better for you. You do not need to follow all, you can try one and see if it can make a difference. Planning and being able to achieve your goals not just for the year but everyday gives you fulfillment and peace of mind.
Here at Cinemagics, we greatly value high performance living as we truly believe that everybody can reach their potential and become the best version of themselves. Let us know your thoughts or share with us your 2023 goals and tips, log on to www.cinemagics.com leave us a comment below or feel free to check out our blogs for self development and high performance living. Wishing you a great 2023 ahead!