For the last few weeks I've been sharing my pacts for 2024. 

In Part 1 - read it here, I shared the importance of self-awareness, but how "self-awareness [alone] will avail you nothing". 

I know that if I don’t transmute self-awareness into changes in the way I think and act for the good of my wellbeing, happiness and outcomes, it is worthless.

So I’ve transformed my self-awareness from 2023 into pacts for 2024, and decided to share these with you, to inspire and encourage you to do the same.

 

In part 2 - read it here, I shared that there are two voices inside your head. A higher self and a lower self. 
 

The higher self knows what's good for you in the longer term.
The lower self just wants what feels good right now!

 

My pacts are agreements between my two selves. 
So I can give my higher self a greater chance of winning the battle more often.

 

 

Below are my final 8 pacts for 2024.

 

I share these because maybe some of them will resonate with you, and help you create your own pacts. 

 

A new year is the prime opportunity for a fresh start, renewed focus on the person you want to be and the life you want to create. It all starts with how you think, feel, and act. 

 

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CREATING YOUR OWN PACTS

 

Before we get to my final pacts, here are a few questions to help you create yours:

 

• What were my biggest frustrations this year?
• What caused me irritation or annoyance?
• What were my biggest sources of stress?
• What do I wish I had more of in 2023?
• How did I let myself down this year?
• What do I think I could have done better?

Look at your answers to these questions and ask yourself what is in your control to create positive change to these things. 

** Remember : the only thing you can control is how YOU think, feel, and act. 

** Also remember : Self-awareness is not an opportunity to criticize and beat up on yourself. Self-awareness must always be coupled with self-compassion. Life is a journey of growth and learning. You can only ever do your best. When you know better, you can do better. 

 

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MY 2024 PACTS
(along with short explanations)
(in no particular order)

PART 3 : PACTS 17-24

 

 

17. MY BODY IS MY TEMPLE - USE IT OR LOSE IT!

I’ve been blessed with great physical health so far, but in the last year I’ve begun to notice, in small ways, that having a fit, able body is something I should not take for granted. Nothing serious, just the odd twinge here and there, or something I used to do easily, not being so effortless. 

I’m writing this after just completing a mini-triathlon! Before you get too impressed - emphasis is on the word “mini”. 15 mins on the bike + 20 min walk/run + quick dip in the pool. Exercise box ticked for the day and added bonus, I feel mentally fab and focused too!

I have the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else. I DO have time to exercise, it’s all a matter of priorities. In 2024 and beyond, moving every day will be a top priority. More than that, a non-negotiable. There are endless reasons why moving is a must for both my physical and mental wellbeing. The biggest motivating force for me is that my body is my temple. It is the vessel that will carry me through this life, and the fact is, I can’t live and enjoy life fully if my body is not fit and able. If I don’t use it, I will lose it!

 

Pact :
Dedicate 1 non-negotiable hour per day to moving my body.

 

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18. GOOD STUFF IN = GOOD STUFF OUT

How I feel physically and mentally comes down to a simple equation.
Good stuff in = Good stuff out.

If I feed my body crappy food, I feel physically crap.

If I feed my mind crappy thoughts, I feel mentally crap.

And the opposite is also true.
End of story!
 

“Your life is dyed by the colour of your thoughts” - Marcus Arelius
 

"Every thought a person dwells upon, whether he expresses it or not, either damages or improves his life."   - A Calendar for Wisdom.

Pact :
I feed my body nutritious food and I feed my mind nutritious thoughts.
 

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19. GRATITUDE IS THE MAGIC SAUCE

I have read bucket loads of science to show that gratitude is a magical thing. But even more powerful than that, I’ve done my own “me-search”.

I’ve seen for myself time and time again that gratitude can transform both how I feel and how I experience life. I know that every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. No matter how I feel, or how bad things may appear, I can always, always, always look for the good, and find something to appreciate and to be grateful for. 

Gratitude is like a magic sauce that makes everything in life taste better.

PACT:
I have so much to be grateful for. I choose to focus on and give thanks for these things.

 

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20. NOW IS ALL THERE IS - EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST A THOUGHT

The past and the future do not exist, they are merely thoughts in my head.
Whenever I’m lost in my thoughts, I miss the moment in front of me. When I miss a moment, it is gone forever, I can’t get it back.

Pact :
My daily goal is to fully experience as many moments as I can by being present NOW.
 

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21. LET GO, LET GO, LET GO, LET GO & LET GO SOME MORE

I love the analogy of wellbeing being like the sun. Sometimes I can’t see the sun or feel its warmth because the clouds are covering it. But I know it is always there behind the clouds, shining as brightly as ever.

Happiness and wellbeing are the same. They are always there, it’s just that sometimes my thoughts and feelings are blocking them from my view.

Just as clouds can block the sun from my view, my thoughts can block my wellbeing.

I know that anytime, if I can let go, I can experience wellbeing, happiness, peace, joy.

But if whatever I’m thinking, feeling, or experiencing in that moment is too hard for me to let go of, I can rest in the assurance that eventually “this too shall pass”, and I will feel wellbeing again. It’s still there, it hasn’t gone away.

With this in mind, I pick my battles. Life is made up of a series of passing things that have the potential to annoy me, irritate me, make me sad, hurt, jealous, resentful…
I can always choose to let go of these things. I don’t have to think about them, dwell on them, or have an opinion about them. 

“You always own the option of having no opinion. There is never any need to get worked up or to trouble your soul about things you can't control. These things are not asking to be judged by you. Leave them alone.”

 - Marcus Aurelius.

Letting go can be hard to do. But like all hard things, I can get better at it with practice.

 

PACT :
I let everything that comes before me be an opportunity to practice letting go.

 

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22. AMOR FATI - LOVE IT ALL

Amor fati - Love it all
I love this Stoic mantra.

It translates as “A love of one’s fate”.

When something good happens - Love it. I savour the wonderful moments in my life.

When something goes wrong - Love it. I’m going to be better for this having happened to me.

Whatever it is, big or small, fair or unfair, chosen or tragic - I try to love it all, I use it as fuel, I become better for it having happened - I can turn the bad things in life into good things by loving it all.
 

Wrestling life is a waste of my time and energy. If I can’t stop it or change it, I had better accept, embrace it, and use it.

As well as loving things as they happen (the good, the bad, and the ugly), I can actively think about things I love throughout the day. This is a form of gratitude practice.

Here’s a few I can think of right now -
I love the sun coming up at 5am, the mild weather, and the long days.
I love having all of my kids home, the house being noisy and messy and full.
I love the quiet hour in the morning to sit and write and share my ideas that might help others.

PACT :
My daily question - How many things can I find to love today?
 

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23. EXPERIENCES OVER THINGS

On my deathbed I will not care how I looked, what I wore, or what I drove. As nice as nice things and little luxuries are, it’s the experiences, moments, and memories that will matter in the end.

Pact :
I constantly remind myself, when prioritizing my resources (time and money), to choose experiences over things.

 

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24. CONTINUALLY CULTIVATE AWARENESS

I decided to save the best for last. This is my most important pact.

I believe that cultivating awareness (or meta-cognition - the scientific term) is the foundation of all wellbeing. 

 

At 46 years old one thing I know for sure is that shit happens! And will continue to happen, both to me and to the people I love. Yes, there will be rare moments when everything is going just right and everything seems right with the world. But these moments will be exactly that - rare. There’ll always be something. If my happiness is contingent on what is happening around me, I’m like a ship on a stormy sea with no one at the helm.

I can’t control what is happening around me, but I can control what is happening within me. Awareness gives me the ability to be able to actively manage my inner state - how I think, feel, and react.

Meta-cognition is thinking about thinking. It’s putting distance between me and my thoughts, feelings and reactions. It’s being able to look at myself from a distance.

With awareness, I can observe my thoughts and feelings, as if they’re happening to someone else. Only then can I possibly gain control of my thoughts and feelings and choose how I react.

Awareness is a skill I learned through practicing meditation.
And I bring this skill into daily life with mindfulness.

This is not a new pact for me. Cultivating awareness by practicing meditation and mindfulness is already an integral part of my daily life. And it’s something I’ll continue to work on for the rest of my life, as I know it is the foundation that my wellbeing is built upon.

 

Pact :
Every day, I cultivate awareness, so I can manage my inner world and be the captain of my ship. The more I practice, the better I get at being able to choose how I think, feel, and act.

 

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Have fun making your own pacts and remember : 

 

** The only thing you can control is how YOU think, feel, and act. 

** Self-awareness is not an opportunity to criticize and beat up on yourself. Self-awareness must always be coupled with self-compassion. Life is a journey of growth and learning. You can only ever do your best. When you know better, you can do better. 

 

Here's to 2024 being another year of learning and growth towards your best and happiest self 🧡

 

See you next year!

Nadine 🤸‍♀️