Chances are you’ve heard that it’s the start of the Chinese New Year and if you, like many of us, have slacked on your New Year’s resolutions, consider this the perfect chance to set new goals for the Chinese year.
The Year of The Monkey
The Chinese calendar rotates through a series of 12 animals that go through a 12-year cycle as opposed to the zodiac calendar many of us are familiar with that rotates by month. This year is the year of the monkey. It is believed that people born It is believed that people born in this year are intelligent, witty, curious and playful. Talk about the perfect framework for self-improvement and goals for the year!
Be Inspired By The Traits Of The Year’s Animal
Rather than go with traditional, boring resolutions, use the year’s animal to create goals for yourself and your life by taking time to think about how each quality could enhance your life. Here are some ideas for how the monkey can get off your back, improve your life and encourage you.
Intelligence
In our fast-paced world we have to think on our feet. A lot. And many of us are taking in a tremendous amount of information very quickly, with multiple distractions, and making decisions on the spot. When we don’t know something we can Google on our phones. But we have lost a deeper knowledge that comes from immersion. The monkey can guide you in a quest to improve your knowledge:
- Get a library card. They still make them! Kindles and audiobooks are great but cruising the stacks at your local library will often lead you to books not seen on Amazon’s front page. Used bookstores and antique dealers are another excellent place to find great books. Be inspired by the titles and set a goal to read 12 books a year if you’re not currently a reader.
- Familiarize yourself with The Sundance Institute. Sundance is known for putting forth some of the most brilliant documentaries at its annual festival in Park City, Utah. Check out their streaming service to dive into the world of documentaries like Meru and Finder’s Keepers.
- See a speaker or take a class. Whether at the 92nd Street Y or your local Williams Sonoma go to a talk, attend a cooking class, check out evening programs at a museum. There are many opportunities to expand your knowledge and expose yourself to new people and thinking.
Wit
Wit is something we all appreciate. From that quick quip that perfectly sums up a moment to clever marketing—smart humor and word usage lights up a part of our brain. While wit can be difficult to learn, you can focus on improving yourself by looking at what’s at the heart of it: words. Words have power. Think about the moments in your life that have stuck with you, chances are many of them involve a word—praise that you received, a word used to describe you. During the year of the monkey, focus on words to develop the richness of your path.
- Pick a word of the year. Find a positive word that embodies something you love about people and experiences and make it your word of the year—guiding your decisions and acting as a touchstone in your communications and motivations. Perhaps it’s “kindness”, maybe it’s “momentum.” Scribbling on a napkin, list words that speak to your being and see if you can find one that can help you in your journey. Nouns, verbs, adjectives—they can all guide you from “heart” to “create” to “engaged.”
- Learn new words. Set a goal to learn new words. From lists of the 100 most important words to word a day calendars, the simple act of learning a new word can expand your way of thinking and communicating.
Curiosity
It’s not just for cats and children, curiosity can enrich all lives. The act of wondering is sometimes lost — chided as “daydreaming” (why is that a bad thing?) or a waste of time, many of us jump to wanting to know the answer. But remember the days of just being curious and wondering? This is how ideas spring forth: by allowing the mind to ponder and not shutting down ideas. Consider being more curious for the next year, even only in some areas of your life, to see if a slower path of thinking brings ideas and inspiration, that have been covered by efficiency and access, to the forefront.
- Figure it out. The next time you hear a word you’re uncertain of the meaning of, don’t run to the Internet or a dictionary. Instead, see if you can break it down. Does it have a root you’re familiar with? What clues can you get from the words around it? Maybe you speak another language and see a connection to a word there? Use those SAT skills and think about it—you’ll remember it better and use it more than if you simply look it up.
- Engage with others. We’re taught to avoid strangers but what about taking a new stance? That a stranger is a friend you haven’t yet made? That’s what Cara Thomas did and it’s brought adventure, new meaning and experiences to her life and the lives of others. Thomas decided to take some time to reevaluate her life by taking a 90-day time out to travel Southeast Asia. Before leaving she came up with an idea. She would say YES. To everything. Invitations, offers…if it were safe, she was doing it. Before leaving on her trip she reached out to friends and asked them to email another friend of hers a challenge. Her friend made these into beautiful, handmade cards tucked into envelopes. Each day, Cara started out by opening an envelope and then, at some point in the day, had to complete whatever was on it. From finding the oldest, happiest couple in the room and asking them their secret, to asking a stranger for a mantra Cara was put in situations many of us wouldn’t be brave enough to try, but she let her curiosity run free and ended up revolutionizing her life. She’s transformed this experience into a deck of cards everyone can use, at any time, to add curiosity and expansion to her own lives. Readers of the In Order To Succeed blog can order their own deck at 10% off by using the code: MONKEYDO
Playfulness
Mr. Rogers said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” We lose the time, ability and imagination to play as we grow but there are ways in which adult play can enhance our lives.
- Golf, tennis, hiking—incorporate movement into your year. From the benefits of exercise and the outdoors to the connection with others and pride of improving your physical abilities, this type of play is healthy on many levels.
- Make a joke, enjoy time with friends, be light. Laughter is an undervalued part of life that brings joy to you and those around you. Being serious is important and there are certainly times when humor doesn’t work, but it’s also good to see the humor in everyday situations—especially when something inconvenient happens. Laugh about it now if you’re going to laugh about it later.
- Scratch your brain. While many people have games on their smartphones and tablets, consider games that challenge your brain. Play for adults should help with mental acuity, problem solving, memory and speed. Brain training apps like Lumosity, games that incorporate math, word games — these will both give you a break and allow for your brain to stay sharp rather than games based on luck and chance.
The monkey is here and we could all learn a few lessons from him. Consider what he can bring to your year, be it one thing or many, and allow yourself to be inspired by his intelligence, wit, curiosity and playfulness.