How To Start Your New Year On A Positive Note
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How to Start Your New Year on a Positive Note
The new year can be a great time to strive for a positive new beginning in your life. Unfortunately, thinking about that change can also be something stressful or saddening.
Lots of people have trouble with making the new year a positive occasion and in setting or following through with resolutions. It is okay if you’re one of them! Change isn’t easy and starting a new road can be difficult.
It’s time my friends. It is time to look at the things that have been holding you back – the fears and obstacles you’ve been stuck just accepting. It doesn’t have to be this way, and it’s time to take the power back into your own hands and do something about it. Here is how to start:
Make New Goals
New goals can help you start in the right direction during the coming year. Have you wanted to move to a new house or been stuck in a dead end job for ten years? This is the time to decide that things have to change. You don’t have to know how to change them yet, but you do have to make a decision and commit to it.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many or realistically unattainable goals. I’m sorry to say that most of us will not be invited to play bass guitar for Queen just because we’ve decided we want to.
That said, it’s never too late to find other people with the same passion that you have and start a band. Or ask for help putting together a fantastic resume so that you can look into different employment. A job that might take you somewhere.
Our goals are our dreams, so make them count. If you’ve always wanted to go on a cruise, but could never make it happen, look into my save $2019 in 2019 savings challenge. Do what you can to turn your words into a reality.
Pick up Journaling
Do you have difficulty sleeping because you can’t seem to turn off your brain? Writing can be an amazing way to get all of your thoughts out and deal with them more easily. When left inside, our thoughts and worries just fester into something that we eventually have difficulty managing.
I know that many people look at journaling as a waste of time. After all, you could be playing Candy Crush or Fortnite with those minutes. Which is my point.
How much time to you spend on social media, playing video games, and or binge watching shows? How many hours have you wasted checking every notification that comes in on your phone? Turn it off!
Instead of shoving those thoughts and feelings away by distracting yourself with short-term influences, give yourself the gift of getting your feelings out of your body and putting them down on paper. It will help calm your mind and center your soul so that you can dig your way out of being stuck and start moving again.
Give Yourself a Makeover
Makeovers don’t have to be expensive and they don’t have to be like the ones you see on television. They can be inexpensive and simple.
If you’ve needed change in your life, try something like a new haircut or hair color. See if you have the funds to pick up a new outfit or two, or just taking a little time to care for your skin and body with a nice moisturizer.
One fun idea that you may be able to find is a mini makeover. Go to the local department store and talk to the makeup artist about whether they do free makeovers. Have them do your makeup and when you leave, be sure to purchase your favorite item. Even a small change in the way we look can do wonders for how we feel.
Clean out the Clutter
They say a cluttered space means a cluttered mind – and that is often true. Take some time to clean up your living space and make the coming days easier to breathe and relax. If your rooms aren’t a problem, try to tackle the closets and cabinets!
We all have items that we don’t need or that we’ve grown out of wearing and using. It is time to let those things go so that they don’t hinder the growth you are aiming for.
Try Working Out
Working out can greatly affect your mood as well as your happiness. Depending on the exercise, it can also be a great way to meet new people. If you aren’t feeling very social, try looking up some free workout apps and find a few that might suit your needs. Try to do them a few times per week.
If you are looking to meet new people or just get out of the house, think about going for a jog in the neighborhood or by the beach, see if there are classes offered in a local park or look into whether there are free trials at a local gym. The key is to try something new and get your endorphins flowing.
Do Something You’ve Wanted to Do
Have you been talking about something forever? Something you’ve always wanted to do someday? Make today the day.
This is the year to finally see the Grand Canyon or learn how to bake. This is the time to try out being a vegan or pick up skateboarding. There is no time like the present, so make today count. Showing up for something that you’ve always been passionate about is an excellent way to exhibit self love.
Spend Some Time in Nature
With all of the time spent on our computers and devices, we sometimes forget that we are a part of the earth. Nature can bring so many benefits to your health and happiness just by taking a minute to be a part of it. Spend time outdoors to help lift your spirits and make the New Year more positive.
In the colder weather, it can be a bit more difficult to go outside. If you have some milder weather, take a walk by the water (whether you live near a lake, and ocean or a pond), sit outside and read a book, or go to a park or nature preserve.
If it is still freezing outside, bundle up and try to build a snowman or make snow angels. Get in touch with the times when you were carefree and had nothing but the future ahead of you.
Help Others
One of the best ways to make yourself happy is by helping others. I am not talking about enabling the people in your life to continue doing unhealthy things, so don’t go there! I mean that it is time to give back to the world.
Find a place to volunteer, lend a helping hand, adopt a pet or something else entirely. Making others smile can make you feel happier and spread some joy this year. Read my 32 random acts of kindness that wont’ break the bank to get some other ideas of where to get started.
Put Yourself First
Sometimes the best thing that you can do for yourself is to put yourself first. This isn’t about shutting out everyone else, it’s about learning to be selfish in the healthiest ways possible.
If you are running yourself ragged doing things for everyone else, you will never have the energy to keep going. It is time to start the new year on the right foot.
Give yourself the gift of taking a deep breath. Whether it be by taking yourself to the movies once per month, getting a pedicure (you can find discounts on Groupon), or just locking yourself in the bathroom with a magazine for ten minutes, you have earned it.
Look through my Mindfulness Meditation series to help find other ways to give to yourself and destress in the new year.
You’ll want to do your best to start the year on a positive note so that you can get some momentum in the right direction. Hopefully these suggestions will get you there and you’ll see some real change this year.
Remember, change can be scary, but it can also bring about all of the hopes and dreams that you never knew you wanted until you had them. Have a great year!