At the end of the year, people usually take a moment to think about what they have done or what has happened throughout the year. Others may not think about the past year but would rather think about the New Year that is ahead of them.
Regardless of the focal point, the end of the year always marks a time for reflection and renewal. Let’s look at why highly productive people use this time to renew their energy and why it is so important to them.
We do not need to have extensive knowledge or experience to recognize that it is vital to recovering our energy. This is nothing new and although in theory, it sounds quite simple, in practice it is not. The American Psychological Association (APA), in its article: Stress a Major Health Problem in the United States, Warns APA, mentioned that “Although the population of the United States deals with stress on a daily basis, the damage to health is more serious when the stress is insufficiently controlled.”
The statistics are not encouraging. In this article, APA indicates that: “Four out of ten people overeat or eat unhealthy foods to control stress; while a third skip a meal due to stress. On the other hand, people who consume alcoholic beverages or smoke cigarettes are also more prone to behaviors that are harmful to health during periods of great stress. Additionally, significant numbers of people watch television for more than two hours a day and play video games or surf the Internet.”
In our program The Action Plan That Will Lead You To Success, it is clearly explained that renewing ourselves becomes the first step to continuing on the path to achieving our goals. This program also clarifies that: the greatest resource you have is you. You are the most powerful investment you can make in your life; since you are the instrument of your own performance.
In this program, it is suggested as well, that you should renew yourself in the important areas of your life, such as the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and social. Thus, if you are looking to renew yourself, I recommend you to follow these practical steps:
- List the important areas of your life where it is essential to renew yourself,
- Find for each area the activity that renews you,
- Establish how often you should practice this activity,
- Add this activity to your agenda periodically.
For each person renewing has a different meaning. For some, it means resting, distancing yourself from the usual, exercising, sleeping, talking with friends, reading a book, etc. The American Psychological Association summarizes that some of the healthy behaviors used to control stress are: listening to music, reading, exercising or walking, praying, and spending time with family and friends.
Therefore, whatever way you decide to renew yourself, be intentional in selecting what truly brings you restoration, control the time you invest in this activity, and make sure that you renew your energy, revive your life, and your desire to move forward with your goals.
Question: What activities give you more energy, passion, and renew you?