a millen-gordon guide to… changing your mindset and getting motivated this year

It dawned on me the other day that my inbox has been overwhelmed in recent weeks, with questions from you lovely lot about ways to change your mindset and get motivated this year.

With that in mind, I thought I’d jot down, what I look to call ‘MY ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGERS’ (play it cool Lydia, I know!) in the hope that they encourage new ways of thinking should you need a bit of encouragement this month.

Now I won’t lie, what I’m about to share is basically motivational gold dust (!) so brace yourself, buckle up and get ready to go…

The books…

I mentioned Mo Gawdat’s book Solve for Happy in the post I shared earlier this week but I’ll start with that because, if you hadn’t already noticed (!) it’s my current obsession. If you’re interested in exploring the topic of happiness and how to bring more of it into your life this year, Ali and I have discussed so many nuggets of wisdom from this book over dinner. Not only do we feel like we’re learning so much about how we each think, together, but it’s also helping us to dig deep into everything from emotions to life itself.

I listened to 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think when I was really struggling to navigate the weird and wonderful world that is being an online creator a few years back and it felt like I had a life coach in my ear 24/7 cheering me on. This, coupled with Glennon Doyle’s Untamed and How To Do You by my actual life coach/queen, Jacqueline Hurst (who incidentally changed my entire existence with her straight-talking kindness), left me feeling empowered and more grounded than I have felt in a long time.

And then of course the first self-development book that changed the game for me and my productivity… Christine Carter’s The Sweet Spot. As the name suggests, it’s all about finding the sweet spot in our lives as we each try and juggle a million things. For me, it’s the perfect book to dive into if you’re just starting out on your self-development journey. Enjoy.

The stationery…

Now I know that September tends to hog the limelight when it comes to new stationery – back to school season and all that – but in my opinion, January deserves some credit here too. Why? Because a new diary and pen are staples in the opening chapter of my year. For me, nothing beats Smythson’s Soho Diary because it’s beautiful inside and out (I love the layout) and as for pens, nothing beats the Santos de Cartier ballpoint from Cartier.

The wake up call…

If one of your resolutions is to get out of bed an hour earlier to squeeze a new goal in but when your alarm goes off, you hit ’doze’ and go back to bed (we’ve all been there!), I’ve found that doing everything I can to make my morning as peaceful and enjoyable as possible removes all the dread and doom that I once-upon-a-time associated with early starts! 

For me, laying out my gym wear and dressing gown the night before is a must – Ali got me a new Soho robe for Christmas which basically means that when I wake up, I replace one warm cocoon with another! I’ve also stopped taking my phone to bed so can 100% vouch for the Phillips Hue Alarm Clock if you want a soothing start (think a gentle, ‘you can do it’ wake up instead of GET OUT OF BED NOW vibes). Lastly, any uplifting shower gel incentivises me to get my goal ticked off asap so that I can hop in the shower and start the day feeling like I’ve already accomplished something. I love Neal’s Yard because it comes in a huge bottle and smells incredible but feel free to insert your shower gel of choice here! 

The advice…

Finally, the team and I were chatting about an episode of Jake Humphrey’s podcast the other day because he shared some advice that made all three of us go “YES”. That advice is as follows…

“Just because something isn’t your fault, it is your responsibility.” 

Without wanting to sound bossy, read that again and let it sink in. Ultimately, there are 7 billion of us living side-by-side on this planet. Some will always have it better, some will always have it much worse. Let’s make winter the season we take ownership of our circumstances and make the necessary tweaks (however slight) to create the change we want to see.

I think that’s everything! I’d love to hear how 2022 is treating you so far so let me know in the comments below.