4 Ways to Experience More Ease in 2016

The start of the New Year brings with it an opportunity to start over with a clean slate. Whether 2015 was a great year for you, or you couldn’t wait for it to be done, 2016 lies in front of you filled with so much possibility.

One of my personal goals this year is to experience more ease in my life. That doesn’t necessarily mean I expect things to be easy but I believe the cultural messages of “striving for success” is eating away at my personal sense of peace.

I don’t think I’m alone in that. My wish for you is that whatever comes your way in 2016 you too will be able to handle it with as much ease and grace as possible.

Here are 4 things you can do to experience more ease in 2016:

Make self-care a priority

This is my personal number one priority this year. I talk a lot about self-care but when I took an honest assessment of 2015, I realized I did an atrocious job of truly taking care of myself. I’m deeply committed to changing that in 2016.

It’s easy to push off self-care until “later” but you and I both know later never comes. I get that things are busy and it can be hard to find the time. But this isn’t about finding the time, this is about making the time.

I suggest creating daily (go for a 20 minute walk during lunch), weekly (take a day off from social media each week) AND monthly (take a day to disconnect from all technology including your phone) rituals of self-care that you can incorporate into your schedule.

Take some time to figure out what self-care rhythms you need and then give yourself the gift of making those things non-negotiables that you work everything else around.

Stop playing the comparison game

I believe the comparison game is the most dangerous game that women unconsciously play and this time of year is ripe for this to happen.

All those resolutions to do more of this or less of that are usually tied to comparing yourself to someone else’s standard instead of listening to what your own inner wisdom may be trying to tell you.

This year focus your energies on being YOU instead of someone else’s version of you. Commit to staying in your lane without worrying what the woman in the lane next to you (or two doors down from you) is doing.

Trust your gut more

Your intuition is the greatest gift you have been given as a woman. Every woman has it but if you’re like a lot of women, you’ve been taught not to trust yourself.

Yes, there are people who can give you advice, those who’ve been at things longer than you have but that doesn’t negate your ability to know what’s right for you. You know when something doesn’t feel right or feel true for who you are or the direction you want to go with your life.

Trust your inner knower. Take the advice of others but use your gut as the filter to know what fits and what doesn’t. You know so trust yourself.

Hold Tight to Joy

I have talked to more than one person who feels guilty when they are experiencing joy especially when things are going well in their life. There is a mindset that being joyful is somehow wrong and if you’re happy about where things are in your life, then you’re being prideful.

I vote we call BS on that kind of thinking this year. Instead, allow yourself the freedom to linger and savor the joys of life without guilt and/or waiting for something to go wrong. Waiting for the other shoe to drop robs you of the full experience of what’s happening NOW.

When good comes your way this year (and it will) give yourself permission to fully feel the joy. Then, I dare you to stay in that joyful place for as long as you can. Increasing your tolerance for joy will only add to the richness of your life so learn how to hold tight to it.

I believe you can experience more ease no matter what comes your way this year. The choice and the power are yours.

Here’s to you making it your best year yet.

From my heart to yours,

A Vision Board is a great way to help you set and hold an intention to experience more ease. Now is the perfect time to create one and my Vision Board Guidebook will show you how. Click here to download your FREE copy today!

I would love to hear how you plan to experience this year differently (or why you are planning to keep things as they are). Share in the comments below or head over to Facebook and share there.