8+1 best ways to preserve and deepen last year's treasures

Before I agree to the next year I wanna read the terms and conditions.
Before I agree to the next year, I would like to read the General Terms and Conditions.

A friend recently sent me this. I had to smile. Yes, I would also like this option.

As pleasant as this solution would be, it is of course not possible. We can live and experience the next year with all that it entails. So I'm grateful that I have my Swing-Concept that gives me support, strength and structure, even when things don't go as I would have liked or hoped.

In my last Contribution I had presented this concept to you as an approach for a A strong new year introduced. Today we use it to finalise the last one and go into a little more detail.

At the end of 2020, with coronavirus, lockdowns and other challenges, I wrote "If this year were a person, he would have to apologise to me now!"

Last year wasn't that much better. If I had to give school grades, the year would have just about reached the class target and was promoted. By the skin of my teeth.

But when I think about it more closely, I realise that alongside all the exhausting, gruelling and sad things, there were also many beautiful, encouraging and enjoyable things.

The past year is over for good. We can no longer change everything that happened in the past year. It is good for the soul to consciously bring things to a close. So today I invite you to join me and the 8+1 elements to say goodbye to the old year and at the same time show you what and how you can preserve and take treasures from the past year with you.

For this blog article, I recommend a pen and a piece of paper/notebook.

Maybe make yourself a cup of your favourite drink and find a quiet corner.

8+1 beswung Paths

1. celebrations and highlights

Nevertheless, there were many experiences last year that I can now look back on with gratitude.

You've made it into the new year. You've done some things well. Changed some things. Taken on new impulses. You have every reason to celebrate.

What you can actually do:

• review: Close your eyes and think about what helped you last year and what went well - and be happy about it. And thank yourself for it.
• Celebrate what you have taken away from the past year: Perhaps together with someone you have experienced a lot with in the last year. Or just for yourself - in your own way.
• Present you with a memento: Maybe you give yourself something that reminds you of your last year: a beautiful bag or necklace, a classy diary, a nice mug, a delicious drop of wine or ...

2. reflection and alignment

My last year was a spicy mix of nice and not so nice experiences. If you feel the same way, then it can help you to reflect on it, but also to bring closure and move on.

Learning from mistakes and successes

Learning from your successes is just as important as learning from your mistakes. 

What you can actually do:

To learn from mistakes, you need an attitude of openness and curiosity. Instead of accusing yourself, it is better to ask yourself:

• Oops, what happened here?
• What exactly did I do to achieve this (negative) result?
• What do I want to learn from this and do better next time?

You can learn from your successes by consciously asking questions:

• What have I contributed to this success?
• What talents and skills have I utilised?
• How much time and work have I invested?

You can leave your mistakes behind in the old year, but you can use and apply the valuable insights for the new year.

3. order and structure

A lot accumulates in a year. It's good to take a look at the individual areas and say goodbye to what is no longer suitable or necessary for the new year.

What you can actually do:

A farewell ritual: Find a way to consciously finalise a few unfinished tasks and projects. Perhaps by sorting documents into a suitable folder or even throwing them away, ...

This gives you extra strength and motivation for the new! 

4. vision and creativity

I'm sure you've had an "aha moment" at one point or another over the past year. I realised: That really helps me. That's a completely new thought. Oh, that's good for me. It gives me creativity. It would be a shame if you lost these treasures. It's better to keep your treasures.

What you can actually do:

• Collect treasures: Go through the year or your notes again and highlight what was particularly good and helpful for you.
• Preserve treasures: Write down the most important sentences and insights from the past year. For example, in a small notebook or on index cards that you put in a treasure chest. Or on a notepad on your smartphone.
• Keep treasures active: You can take out your treasure notebook or treasure chest again and again if you want to record and reinforce what you have learnt. Another option is to write individual "aha" sentences in your diary throughout the year, e.g. "I don't have to do anything."
• Multiply estimates: You are of course welcome to tell others what you have learnt. And explaining and telling others usually deepens your knowledge - you and others benefit from what you have learnt. 

5. relationship and closeness

Which people have travelled with you in the past year? How do you experience these relationships? What are you grateful for? What bothers you?

Who of these people will also be travelling with you in the new year? Who would you like to consciously integrate into your new year?

What you can actually do: 

Think about it:

• Which components of a relationship are present in these connections?  
• Which values that do not yet exist would you like to establish in this relationship and why? 
• Which parts of the relationship need repair or strengthening?  

Talk to people about important points in your relationship. 

Name: Where do you lack relationship(s)? What elements of a relationship in your contact with a person can you establish now in order to enable the chance of a relationship developing? 

6. rest and regeneration

Last year was certainly eventful. Have you been able to relax this year?

Being able to rest means letting go and believing that not everything depends on me. Neither on my actions nor on my thoughts. 

That sounds right. But in practice we often don't manage it. 

What is rest? Rest can have different faces. The most efficient forms of regeneration include sleep and rest. But also:

• Do almost nothing: Just sit or lie down and do nothing but listen to your own breathing or look at something. Or do something calming and monotonous, such as knitting.
• Walk quietly: Go for a walk or do other physical activities in great peace - for example, hang out the washing very quietly or sweep the flat quietly to calm down.
• Reduce stress: Use your body to find peace and quiet. Do a sprint, a few wall sits or press-ups to reduce stress. Or progressive muscle relaxation.
• Let go of stress: Write down stressful things and/or calm down in prayer/meditation.
• Switch off electronic devices: Switch off all electronic devices at a certain time of day (90+ minutes before going to bed is recommended) and reduce light in the surrounding area.

What you can actually do:

Looking back: What was good for me last year? Where and how was I able to recuperate and did I find peace? How did I relax?

Establish what has worked for you in the new year! You don't have to reinvent the wheel :)

7. energy and joie de vivre

Physical, emotional and mental energy is the basis for mastering life. We all had the same amount of time last year, but different amounts of energy: 

• For some, two hours of gardening is exhausting, for others it is energising. 
• Some need 8 hours of sleep, others are fit after just five hours 
• For some, an hour-long conversation is exhausting, for others it is invigorating 

What you can actually do:

• What drained your energy last year?
• What energised you?

• Which of these do you want to establish or try out in the new year 2022? Create an inner picture for yourself.

Whether it's goals for sport or healthy eating, you probably won't last long if you don't have an inner image of what you're doing it for. The deeper this image is anchored in you and your values, the stronger it will support you.

8. sense and productivity

What things really upset you last year? What in your environment, in politics, in the world did you find really bad or wrong?

What you can actually do:

Some of it you can influence. Others you can't. Write everything you can't influence on pieces of paper, crumple them up and throw them away. It's not worth getting worked up about it any more.

Think about it
You can tackle the things you can influence (if you want to) in the new year:

- What do you want to use your strength for? What do you want to change?
- How can you enrich other people?
- What are you good at, what do you get compliments on?
'- What makes you happy?
- What are your values?
- How can you multiply your gifts?

Plus one: faith and trust

The add-on to the 8 elements is faith and trust. No matter what your last year was like:

If you want to experience a strong new year, you need the relaxation and security that faith and trust provide. 

Your life will become much stronger and easier if you actively look for ways to promote faith and trust that suit you. 

Anyone who wants to grow in faith and trust would do well to eliminate these doubts. Doubts are often rooted in experiences. Perhaps some experiences in the past year have caused your faith or trust in God, yourself and life to crumble.

Think about it
- Where do you feel doubt, where faith?
- Where do you want to grow in faith and trust?
- What has strengthened your faith and trust in the past?

What you can actually do:
In which area would you benefit from more faith and trust in the new year and what can you do to achieve this?

Full speed ahead

I hope these 8+1 ways will help you to end the last year well and take many treasures with you for the new year ahead.

You live best when you regularly integrate all 8 elements of life into your life. Not perfectly, but well. Not just some, but all of them. Even if the circumstances are daft, you can take the best possible care of yourself! 

I live on a ship on the Spree. That's why I love nautical images. Imagine the 8+1 elements like sails that you hoist. When all 8+1 are positioned, they can catch the wind.

You are picking up speed with your life. Beswings your boat takes the waves.

Do you want to set sail?

This is exactly why I created the online course "SWING. Your best life" (for self-study) and life training LEO. Live lion strong (with community).

You will learn in both 

•  know the 8 elements of life
• How to build a crisis-proof life
• How to become stronger and lighter

Every week you get an input from me.

Clearly and concisely explain how you can incorporate one of the elements of life into your life. It will take you about 10 minutes.

If you want to go into more depth, there are further tips, book recommendations and suggestions in each lesson. You can decide for yourself how deep you want to go.

I can't promise you that next year will be good by itself. It can also have big waves, that's for sure.

I can only encourage you to do really well and set sail. You can do it! And I'm happy to support you!