Hey dear reader,
2020 is almost complete. Hopefully, you've had a good year, even though events probably didn't pan out the way you expected them to.
Alas, that is life.
I will keep it short, so no "year in review" or anything in this week's issue (although I may do a 2020 review somewhere in January).
I wrote two articles over the last week. Both of which can be valuable for your (mental) fortitude going into 2021.
#1 Stoic Negative Visualization
If you're feeling down and are struggling through these dark winter days, then my article on Negative Visualization is a perfect read for you to put things in perspective.
Here's an excerpt from the article "How to Focus on Your Life Goals Like The Stoics: The Benefits of Negative Visualization":
"Well, the stoics, in particular Seneca[1], had the idea that if you visualize what could go wrong in life, you'll derive two benefits from it:
1. Create psychological fitness, i.e., toughen up before a bad experience happens to you.
2. Induce feelings of gratefulness for what you already have in life. (This is very much like "want what you already have," which is also a common Zen Buddhism way of thinking.)"
#2 Design a Personal Challenge
And if you'd like to hit the ground running with awesome habits in 2021 but are not sure precisely what you can do to achieve that, I recommend reading my article on How To Design Personal Challenges.
Here's an excerpt from "How to Design a (30-day) Personal Challenge That Really Improves Your Life [Ultimate Guide + 7 Examples + Template]"
"But... have you tried designing personal challenges for yourself? Have you tried setting up a system that's so simple you can't help but do the work?
I think habit coach and writer James Clear says it very succinctly:
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." - James Clear
You can have all the goals you want, but it's human nature to fall back on the systems (read: habits) we have in place."
Next issue
The next issue will be on January 8th. In it, I will cover my 2021 plans for jibranelbazi.com and this newsletter.
I wish you a merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a fruitful 2021!
Regards,
Jibran
PS.
Like I promised, starting this January, I will publish this newsletter every week again.
If you have anything that you think is valuable, send it my way. I'll make sure to add it.