While going through the different blogs on Hive I suddenly came across the ThoughtfulDailyPost community. I did notice it before, but I didn't really paid attention to it before.
But since have been busy with my personal development this year it caught my attention this time.

When I read about the weekly prompt I thought I'd share my experiences and my "goals for the new year". I'm using quotes since I'm not really into New Year's resolutions. If you want change, why not start immediately?

Mindfulness

In 2024 I made my first steps into mindfulness. In July I decided to go for a dopamine detox. I removed most of the distracting apps on my phone to reduce my phone usage.
At the same time I started exploring mindfulness. At first I didn't actually knew what mindfulness was, so I started reading some books. I ready multiple books about interviews with the Dalai Lama and different books about mediation.
I always thought meditating was spiritual or religious, but I found out that it’s about focusing your attention on what you’re doing at that moment and nothing else.
This can be applied to eating, brushing your teeth, having a conversation, but also just sitting and doing nothing.
Meditation is a practical tool anyone can use to reduce stress and improve focus by clearing your mind. Meditating benefits mental and physical health.

Since a couple of months I've been practicing mindfulness. I've found out that I'm not good at meditation (yet?). I do sometimes try to meditate for 10 of 15 minutes, but I

But the 'being-mindful-mindset' did fit well with my dopamine detox. I often used to be on my phone with a lot of activities like eating or when I made a walk. When paying attention you experience things more intense and enjoy it more.
And that's only the simple things. Not even to mention people who use their phones when they are in a conversation with others. And how many parents spend more time on their phone than with their children. I remember this striking quote from the book 4000 weeks by Oliver Burkeman which was very inspiring:
"Give important things the attention you would give it if you knew it was the last time".
I can really recommend reading that book by the way. I got quite a lot of interesting wisdom out of it.

I must admit that I sometimes still use my phone when I'm doing other things. The introduction of Snaps didn't make it better, but I am trying to be more mindful with all the things I do. And I will try to increase that in 2025.

Enjoy the small pleasures in life

This is one of those clichés you find in many books, but it is true. When I was in the city of Gent I spotted a piece of paper on the inside of a door with a sum-up of Little moments of joy. I created a blog for it (which I had better posted in this community by the way).

I've also learned not to get angry about things you can't change. For instance people can get really angry when they are in a traffic jam. But being angry about something you cannot change is a loss of energy. Just breathe, be happy you're in a warm, dry place, you can put your favorite music on.

Do something good!

Being kind to others is quite easy to do and it often makes both the receiving party as yourself a good feeling.
This year I signed up as a volunteer for a foundation that helps people who don’t have the resources and/or network to get certain jobs done.
I've done a couple of simple jobs like laying floor tiles for an old lady and trimming a large bush for an elderly couple. The appreciation you get from that is really big. I was quite busy this year and will try to do this more often next year.

I also try to do something good every day. It doesn't have to be something big. Just give someone a compliment or ask how they are doing.
Or just smile. Smiling is good for your own mood, but also for someone elses. I read a quote by Dolly Parton a while ago that stayed with me:
"If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours".
And it is so true. And really easy to do.

I hope I can improve the things I have started doing this year. I'm happy to have discovered this community so I can keep you updates on the progress.

All pictures in this blog are my own.

About FriendlyMoose

I'm an amateur photographer with a love for indoor gardening, craft beer, and cycling. As the owner of the Cycling Community and the creator of the Topcomment initiative, I focus on fostering engagement and bringing like-minded people together.
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