What are you doing to set yourself up for a good New Year? The end of 2023 is quickly approaching and it’s the time of year we start to think about our goals and achievements from the last 12 months. Did you reach your goals? Set new ones? Maybe your plans evolved throughout the year as your mindset changed.
However 2023 went, it’s time to start looking forward and setting yourself up for a good New Year. So, how can we do that? In the article below we’re going to cover several things you can do, both practical and mental to ensure you are in the right mindset for January.
Get a head start on the New Year
You might be thinking about the upcoming holiday season as a short break to revive your old New Year’s resolutions. At this point in time, you may have caught on to the fact that forcing yourself to change doesn’t work. Regardless of how you view and spend the last few days of the year, is important that you get a head start on your goals to make sure that they are achievable, realistic and make you feel better.
Creating a game plan
The first step in setting realistic expectations is to identify what you want and create a plan that works into your existing routines. At the end of the day, we are looking for a change that will actually lead us to our goal.
It is possible to achieve this by writing down the steps or setting up something like a calendar, where you can see how they are progressing. Irrespective of how you choose to keep yourself in check, here are a few things you need to consider:
- Identify strengths and weaknesses when creating or re-establishing goals
- Reflect on what you are currently capable of and what you’d like to continue from the previous year
- What goals never work, and what are some of the things that may stand in the way of you achieving your goals in the end
- Once you have figured out what works and what does not, start stating/or writing down these goals
- Let those you trust know what your goals are so they too can keep you accountable.
- Examine your resources; utilize apps, calendars or notes that can help you organize and provide reminders to stay on track
New year, same me
Many people push the practice of making New Year resolutions, by pledging to change the aspects of ourselves that we do not like, or that we want to improve. Because of this exact reason, resolutions fail at such a high rate.
It takes a lot more effort, determination, and perseverance to change one’s own attributes and behaviours each day than it does to return a borrowed item! It is certainly possible to change habits, behaviours, and lifestyles in the New Year, but by concentrating on the “new me”, we often set ourselves up for failure. Picking up new healthy habits takes time and isn’t always easy.
We don’t need to replace our attitudes or even our goals. We can work on improving and building upon what we are already capable of.
