Good morning, and welcome to another edition of Mindful Mondays. The first week of the year has been a busy one for me. Are you back to work, as well? How are you feeling—calm and collected, or already stressed? If you’ve made New Year’s resolutions or set goals for the year, how are they coming along?
Let’s take this morning to reflect on how we’re approaching the new year.
Chris’s Writing
Why It’s Getting Harder to Read Books: Many of my readers have expressed wanting to read more books in 2023. But it seems harder than ever to sit down and focus on reading. Why is that? In this essay, I break down the problem into three main factors—distraction, temptation, and anxiety—and suggest some simple solutions.
Articles of Interest
I embarked on this first work week of the year with a lot of energy and motivation toward my 2023 goals. I quickly found that there was a lot to keep up with, in my private practice, my writing, and my family life. I found myself feeling stressed.
Sometimes, stress is inevitable, and in some cases, it can even be a good thing. But in this case, I used it as a signal to check in with myself about how my approach to the year and to my goals might be contributing to my feeling pressured.
At the same time, a few articles came across my inbox that provided important reminders to slow down and approach this new year with mindfulness and appreciation. Here they are:
‘I’m So Far Behind!’ In this article, Heather Havrilesky (Ask Polly) responds beautifully to a 24-year-old who feels “behind” in life. Her advice? “Our job is to luxuriate in the present. Everything good starts there.”
Dear writer: Advice on prioritizing your to-do list: New Yorker cartoonist Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell shares advice on prioritization, creativity, and getting things done in the form of whimsical drawings and text. Not just for writers!
How to Reduce Struggle and Flow Toward Your 2023 Goals With The Tranquility of a Lazy River: My friend Alexandra Allen shares the approach that allows her to trust she is moving toward her most important goals, while relaxing and enjoying the process. That approach is to create rituals that are both productive and pleasurable, and bridge the gap between her current situation and her desired outcome. Highly recommended.
Podcast of the Week
Jonathan Haidt—The Coddling of the American Mind, How to Become Intellectually Antifragile, and How to Lose Anger by Studying Morality. In this episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt shares how studying the psychology of morality in different cultures has allowed him to let go of anger, and provides perspectives that can help us reduce the political polarization that is so rampant in our society. I particularly enjoyed hearing about Haidt’s experience trying LSD for the first time at age 29, while studying the Bhagavad Gita and preparing for his fieldwork in India.
Quote of the Week
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” —Alan Watts
That’s all for this week! Here’s wishing you a kinder, gentler start to your 2023.
If you feel like some personal guidance and accountability could help you achieve your goals for this year, I still have a couple of spots open in my coaching practice. Just hit reply to this email to let me know you’re interested.
As always, I appreciate your feedback on this edition. What was your favorite part of this week’s newsletter? How can I make Mindful Mondays more helpful to you? Reply to this email, leave a comment on Substack, or hit me up on Twitter to let me know.
Thanks,
Chris Cordry, LMFT
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Nice example, Chris, of being aware of the building stress, accepting it, and taking steps to moderate it.
Ask Polly and the "I'm so Far Behind" article was well worth the visit, as your blog always is with a helpful mix of original thoughts and well curated links to mindful perspectives. Thanks