STARTING THE YEAR POSITIVELY
Starting a new year can be a time for sober reflection. This is the time to reflect on where you are in life and where you actually want to be. What are your preferred approach to the new year , it’s nice to start out feeling refreshed and focused ready to get back into things you’ve been working on or start out with new things. Here are a few ideas to help give you a boost.
Put away your Christmas decorations timely.
When Christmas and New Year is over, all decorations and ornament should be back in their boxes. If you leave them for too long, it can feel like a chore. You can move things little by little ask for help from friends and family. Doing this will help you be in a great shape to forge on with things you have to do to kick start the year.
Pencil down the things you want to achieve in the new year.
- If you do not consciously pencil down the things you’ll want to achieve in the new year , you might end up deviating from the things you have planned to focus on. Therefore write out all the things you plan to do and place the list some where you can see it all the time . this will greatly help you to remain on focus. In some cases, breaking down the goals into short term and long term milestones is necessary to ensure you don\’t flag in your willpower. Write down any milestones you think will work for you.
Write down your resolutions.
Writing down resolutions will help you focus on the effort to start new habits and to stop some old ones
Focus on organization. If you\’re already wonderfully organized, skip this step. But many people aren\’t and this can inhibit feeling like the New Year is a fresh start.
- Are there piles of papers and books on the desk and floor? Clean them up in short bursts here and there (stealth cleaning!).
- Do you have trouble finding things, from keys to socks? Look for simple solutions, such as hanging up a key holder and setting up a special lost sock basket. One method is about training, the other is about acceptance––for example, you can train yourself to put things away but you can\’t account for missing socks until the mate turns up, so have a safe-keeping zone for such items.
- Hate cleaning? You could try to convince yourself it\’s exercise, a moment of Zen or a chance to throw out your mate\’s junk but it\’s better to find help. Delegate the cleaning jobs to others as much as possible and try to arrange it so that you\’re doing what you\’re best at. It\’s overwhelming to be the person responsible for it all, so stop trying.
- Take sorting in gradual steps. Perhaps, first sort through your desk on Monday, organize your closet on Tuesday and Wednesday, go through your bookshelf on Thursday, vacuum on Friday, dust on Saturday, and organize whatever else needs to be organized on Sunday. Once you\’ve organized specific high-use areas, you will realize it\’s much easier to concentrate and find what you need with a clean room.
Relax more. If you\’re not in the habit of relaxing, start the new year with a resolution to add this important activity (or lack of activity) to your life from now on.
- Spend a little time browsing through books and websites devoted to relaxation ideas. What sorts of relaxing opportunities appeal to you? Not everyone agrees that the same things are relaxing––some people find adrenalin-packed activities relaxing while others would rather slump in the hammock with a good book. It\’s your choice, just so long as it relaxes you.
- Almost everyone finds spa-style activities relaxing. This might mean a weekly bath by candlelight with big bubbles (and maybe some bubbly), a massage (at home with a loved one or paid for at a spa), yoga, meditation and the like.
- When you get a chance, take a relaxation break on Saturday or some other appropriate free day or afternoon. Get your rest, have some friends over for a spa party if you want, or just be alone. You can give yourself an oil treatment, manicure/pedicure, and whatever else will make you feel good and look good.
Reflect On The Past Year.
Think about the things you would has liked to do better in the past year.
- Anything you regret saying? Anyone you wish you could apologize to? If there are people that you owe an apology to, apologize and make things right with them. You don\’t want to worry or regret anything when you start the new year.
- Was this past year so great you don\’t want it to be a new year? Great, make a scrapbook or diary entry about how great this year has been. But tell yourself the new year will be even better. Build on the lessons you\’ve learned and keep the good things coming.
- Was this past year such a terrible year for you, that you worry the new year will be more of the same or even worse? Thinking that way may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Nobody expects you to fly when your wings feel broken, but it\’s important for your own well-being to start finding small ways to mend your dreams. Treat yourself with greater compassion and hang out more with folks who have kind hearts. Focus on making this coming year a much gentler, kinder one. This might include letting go of things that are causing you anxiety––scary at first, but really liberating when you finally do it.
- Promise yourself to do a weekly organizational check on your room/desk/car/whatever it is that gets you bogged down in mess, to prevent you from getting into that dysfunctional state of messiness.
- Think of the new year as the best year of your life when you start it.
- Most people equate the new year with eating healthier, exercising more and spending more time with your loved ones. While these may seem like platitudes, it\’s precisely because these basic things assure you of a more satisfying life through bringing you greater energy, closer ties to people you care about and feeling healthier.