The new year is one of those tricky times of year. Some people see it as a fresh start, while others lament how it’s one of those over-hyped, disappointing holidays like Valentines Day. I’m a list maker, a goal setter, a gold star coveting kind of gal, so I seize any opportunity to make plans and start fresh. Here are some easy tips I’ve picked up to kick start the new year.
Get Active
A little exercise never hurt anyone. For me it’s more about what it does for my mood than body. Yes, I make new years resolutions and yes, one of them typically revolves around health and wellness. Every routine needs to be shaken up so I usually make a goal to try some new activities. In the past it’s been barre classes and hot yoga. This year I tried poolside yoga and anti-gravity. This year I’m keen to sample The Daily Method.
Get Reflective
The days are long, dark and dreary at this time of year, which makes it the perfect opportunity to dig deep. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, so I use the end of the year (and the beginning of the new one) to take stock on what worked well and what didn’t in the past 12-months. It’s way better to check your progress on a regular basis, so I try to review my progress on a quarterly basis. At the end of the year though, I list out what worked well, what needs improvement, what I’d like to maintain and what my intentions are for the upcoming year.
Get Outside
After days sitting around inside and feeling cooped up, I make it priority to get outside on New Years Day. It’s not that I don’t go outside the days before or after New Years, it’s just that I’ve made doing some sort of outdoor activity a tradition in our family. We skate on Christmas Eve and now it seems we go cross country skiing on January 1. It doesn’t have to be regimented, in fact it’s usually better if it’s spontaneous, but I always have a few plans so inclement weather doesn’t derail my good intentions.
Get Sorted
My mother always took down her Christmas tree on New Years Day and so do I. With my daughter’s birthday on January 5, I want the house to be free of clutter when a gazallion kids hyped up on sugar descend. Still, it feels good to get Christmas out of the way, before everyone goes back to work and school. There’s a felling of a accomplishment you get when your house is sorted. So after the exercise, the outdoor activity and taking the tree down, I look around to see what else I can tackle. Often there’s not time for another project, but if I can sneak in some bill paying, closet or fridge culling, I feel like my year is off to a productive start.
Do you have any New Year traditions?
I’m from the camp of thinking a new year equals a fresh start as well so I always look forward to today. Some great tips here for sure. I actually thought about taking down my tree today too!
Wishing you the best this year Jody. Hoping our paths will cross again, sooner than later.