I don’t have a crystal ball nor can I predict the future, but I know that 2018 will be a fabulous year for all of us as long as we don’t fall into one of the following traps.
Trap #1: Fixating on what went wrong in 2017.
We can’t move forward if all we are thinking about is what went wrong last year. Instead we need to examine those experiences and learn how to prevent them from happening again or figure out how to be better prepared if they do reoccur.
Trap #2: Obsessing over what could go wrong in 2018.
Constantly worrying about what could go wrong in the new year creates a life filled with fear and anxiety. Will everything go as you plan or desire this year? Heck no!! But that’s life! Focus on making realistic plans and planning them with your chronic illnesses in mind. By doing this you will have more things go right!
Trap #3: Waiting for a cure.
Don’t wait for a cure to do what you want. Whether you want to accept it or not, a cure may not be found in your lifetime. Don’t waste the time you have waiting for a life you may never get. Find ways to work with your chronic illnesses in order to live a life that is filled with joy.
Trap #4: A bad attitude.
If we start the new year believing that it will suck, then guess what??!! It will!!!! Instead we should look to the new year with hope and anticipation of trying and learning new things.
Trap #5: Ignore the demands of our chronic illnesses.
Fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, and endometriosis are ugly demanding beasts. When we ignore their needs, they punish us with more pain and downtime. But when we take on the challenge of attending to their needs we are rewarded with lower pain levels and less flares. Some days I need a wheelchair and some days I don’t. By using one when I need it I am able to do more than if I pushed my body to do what it isn’t able to. Pledge to take time to recognize what your body needs this year and then do it.
Even with a health setback, 2017 was an amazing year for me. I found more ways to reduce my pain and did things I never thought I would be able to do. I have every reason to believe that 2018 will be even more spectacular. Like last year I will continue to look for and focus on the positive moments that are sprinkled throughout each day. I will use the hard times as tools to figure out where I need to make changes and I will learn from my mistakes. 2018 is going to be fabulous because I am going to make it so!
If you have fallen into one of the traps mentioned above and are struggling to get out, I invite you to download my eBook Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life. In this book I will help you examine your chronic life, recognize the areas that require change, and empower you to make them.
