Yet again it’s the end of another year. Another year we can say bye to and start working on our New Year resolutions. Another year to give ourselves a chance to improve and work on life! Everyone has his or her own version of how 2017 went, here’s my version of it!
2017 for me!
Twenty seventeen has definitely been a year full of adventure. It had its good moments and not so great ones. But hey, that’s life isn’t it?! For those of you who don’t know me, I moved back to Canada in October of 2016. After living in the United Arab Emirates for thirteen years, a month after completing my Medical Internship program my mum decided to ship me off to the birthplace of Tim Horton’s. Well, I’ve always thought of eventually moving back given the chance, lest did I know how quick that would be. Saying goodbye to my friends that had become family, my apartment and car was definitely something I was not mentally prepared for, but I shall leave that story for another blog.
I knew from the beginning of 2017 that this would be a year filled with exams. Having completed Medical School, I wasn’t yet to stop. As an aspiring pediatrician, I put myself through a series of exams to get my Medical Degree equivalence to the Canadian one. Kick-starting with the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam (MCCEE), the NAC OSCE and then the known to be tough one MCCQE1 (yep, that was hard). But that was not it. I needed money to survive (in today’s world one of the most basic need) so I went out Job-hunting. Due to my lack of Canadian work experience, despite having a degree I had to hit rock bottom before I could start climbing up again. So eventually I left my sister’s nest and moved cities landing up with a basic part-time Wal-Mart job and volunteering in a walk-in clinic as a physician assistant.
I won’t lie; Wal-Mart had its perks – saved me quite a bit of grocery expenses. Fast forward to September 2017 and voila! I ended up with a full-time position as a Physician assistant working in a Telemedicine walk-in clinic. It may not be my main goal but it’s definitely a stepping-stone. Like a close friend recently told me “Small steps towards the right direction, Umi.”
My takings from the last 365 days
In between the job transition, meeting new people, building new relationships, bus stop waits and long walks in the snow this year has been a year of growth. Let’s just say my potential was stretched like an elastic band. Definitely increased my elasticity there. Working at Wal-Mart built my fitness level, carrying boxes and running about me look good! On a deeper level, it taught me that no job is too small or big. What matters, is the mindset and the attitude you build towards life. It’s okay to work really hard and yet fall that just gives you another chance to get up again and work towards your goal.
Learning to let go and let the Universe do its job. Yep! That’s a tough one, constantly on what I feel is a fistfight with the Universe. Finding a balance between working towards what you really want, learning when to let go and allowing it come to you is not that easy. I am still learning to find that balance. It’s not an overnight achievement. It takes practice and in the meantime I kept telling myself to learn to take deep breaths, yoga it out and read all those Instagram Quotes. But don’t be too hard on yourself. Treat your self with care and hold strong to your dream while you work towards your goal. Leave the rest to the endless possibilities of the Universe. What is meant to be shall be, when it has to be!
Any resolutions for the New Year?
Hmmm, Well after years of keeping resolutions and literally it lasting for a week at most I’ve decided to work on smaller sustainable goals. Mostly, practicing habits that I started in 2017 and letting them flow into the New Year, such as:
1.Eating Healthy (I am completely IN LOVE with Avocados)
- Working out and feeling good while doing it (Even gifted me a Fitbit)
- Continue finding my balance
- Starting a blog and hoping my experiences can help a few out there.
Eighteen Tips to keep you going in 2018
- Try your personal best to stay healthy.
What you put in your body makes a difference. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your food is essential. Feed your body what it needs to keep going through the day.
- Find your balance.
It’s really not easy, but practice makes perfect. Remember its okay to fall, as long as you make sure to get up again.
- Treat your self with care
Treat your self after achieving certain goals. Whether it is completing a tough week at work, passing an exam or completing a 3-day streak of eating healthy. It doesn’t have to be grand, simple and personal will do.
- Believe in yourself
The world can be really tough on us, making us feel very little of ourselves. But you can only prove to the world how great you are only if you prove it to yourself foremost and the first step is to believe in your self.
- Start a new sport or work out
Evidence-based medicine has proven exercise to not only help with our physical health but our mental health too! Start a work out that you can stick too. There are many options available out there from yoga to Zumba, kickboxing or going to the gym. If you live in a super cold country like mine and dread going out in the snow YouTube has lots of FREE and amazing workout videos to start with.
- Read more
The Internet is so resourceful, read on new topics or go to a nearby library and pick a book that interests you. This will help deviate you from the daily stress we all face and increase your knowledge too.
- Listen to podcasts
If you don’t have time to read, listen to a podcast while you are on the move. iTunes, Spotify or the Internet in general has your back on that one.
- De-clutter
Over the years we tend to pile a lot of things in our closets and basements, go through it a little at a time and make peace with the items you know longer need or value. Trust me you will feel good!
- Make time for a hobby
Life has a way of keeping us super busy. Take a moment to at least once a week to give time to a hobby you haven’t done in a long while. Take your bike out for a ride, open your sketchbook and draw. The world is yours!
- Meditate
Trust me on this one. I know meditating can be annoying cause our thoughts are constantly on the run. But 3 minutes of headspace will not hurt.
- Positive thinking
Keep those negative thoughts offshore and when those waves come in try thinking of something positive to keep you going.
- Maintain a gratitude diary
Before going to bed at night list at least 3 to 5 moments you had through the day. These could be from eating a bar of your favorite chocolate to receiving a kind gesture from a stranger.
- Stop talking and Listen
Take a breath from being the one talking and listen. Listen to the people around you, listen, listen, listen. You don’t know what you could hear that could one day benefit you.
- Practice mindfulness
There is so much to mindfulness. Finding your flow and practicing this can help with those racing thoughts and keep us settled in this busy life.
- Spend quality time with your loved ones
Take some time to sit and be with your loved ones. These could be your family or friends. Simply people you enjoy spending time with and when doing it keep your phone away (these can be distracting).
- Challenge yourself
Create small challenges that could last from a day to a week or even month. An example could be exercising at least 4 times a week for 20 minutes and continue each week until you become consistent.
- Get creative
Take pictures when you go out, start drawing again or find your own creative side. Move yourself to become more creative.
- Love yourself
Always and forever, Love yourself. Working on any of the above 18 tips may not be as effective if you don’t love yourself first. It’s the first step towards believing yourself and trusting you can do it all.
Have a Happy 2 0 1 8!
Leave some comments down on how you feel about the New Year. You can share any New Year resolutions or stories. J
The Global MD 