Beginning a New Year is no small task. Making annual promises to improve or change has been a huge part of our culture since ancient times. The month of January was named after Janus, the Roman god of doors, choices, beginnings and endings and now might be a good time to refocus on your priorities and set goals.
This year we decided to take some time to decide on how to take on the New Year, waiting a few weeks to get serious about our trajectory for 2024. This year we’re channeling Renaissance legend Leonardo da Vinci for inspiration with a different approach to the usual set of resolutions. We don’t know for certain if da Vinci made New Year’s resolutions but if he did, based on Michael Gelb’s bestseller How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day, they might have included the following.
I Leonardo Resolve To –
- Develop a curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
- Practice persistence and worry less about getting things done and remember that everything leads to a greater understanding even the things that are begun and unfinished.
- Develop a positive attitude. Learn from mistakes and aim for progress but letting go of perfection.
- Simplify and remember that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.
- Stay active physically and mentally spending time in nature for that is what stimulates neural connections that activate healthy behaviors and actions.
- Avoid anger and grievous moods and keep your mind cheerful. Practice poise and grace.
- Do not worry about pleasing other people if it becomes more important than our own health and self-care goals.
- Making dining a pleasurable and sensual experience and stop eating just before you feel full.
- Find your purpose by looking at your life vision, values and goals from a holistic perspective so that you can integrate them into your whole self.
- Temper logic with imagination; work with play; problem solving with creativity.
- Cultivate your senses and reflect on their enjoyment.
- Make an action plan with visuals and text for continuous improvement and measure your progress.
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