What Have You Changed Your Mind About Over the Last Year?
I have changed my mind about a few things in the last year. I don’t value productivity that optimises the time in calendars and to-do lists. I value productivity that emphasises connecting with oneself, checking it and optimising the energy levels. Any productivity that encourages me to take breaks, long walks, good sleep and good food is fine with me. Not tracking our sleep cycles, calorie counting and so on. But hold on, I think I have understood this in the past 2 or 3 years but have not fully realised it. The lockdown gave me time to understand this.
If I have to notice a huge change in my mindset it has to be on the concept of self-improvement.
I used to think that if I accomplished something by improving some skills myself, I feel good about myself. I feel a sense of achievement and worthiness. But little did I realise that the “need” behind self-improvement was fuelled by “not feeling good about myself”.
In other words, I didn’t feel worthy or good about something about me. I needed to invest in myself or some skills to improve and become better. I realise it is wrong. I was proven wrong on it, from time to time, after my interaction with Joe Hudson in the course Art of Accomplishment.
“Self-love leads to self-improvement” - This is the big lesson I learnt in 2020. As a card-carrying member of the human race, I don’t need any validation from me or other members of my tribe to feel loved or worthy. I deserve to be loved and feel worthy because I am a human being. Period.
Once I recognise and come to terms with this fact, improvement happens as a side effect. Because improving on certain this is installed in our hardware. By simply focusing on that aspect and not loving ourselves, we are hurting ourselves.
This is my key learning of 2020: “Self-love leads to self-improvement, not the other way”