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I am so excited about 2023 and today I want to write about 5 best ways to start the New year. I think it is important to start your year on a positive note and set strong goals or New Year’s resolutions.
I feel like 2023, for me personally, is going to be a different year, a year of transformation, and big changes. I am a bit scared because change can come in all forms and some of my feelings are actually based on my real life and I know that the changes will happen. It’s terrifying because some of these changes will not be great. But I am still trying to stay strong and positive regardless.
Anyways, today I want to share 5 ways to start 2023 in order to have a better or slightly different year and what some of my New Year’s resolutions are.
5 ways to start 2023
1| Goal-setting. Write down your goals and stick to your list for real this time. Ok, I know, this is quite basic. But I actually divided my goals into different categories and wrote down a few in each category. Moreover, I have big and small goals as well as urgent and non-urgent. Having your list organized this way will help you to not overwhelm yourself too much and actually achieve your goals by the end of the year. Read more about goal-setting in this blog post I wrote last year.
Atomic Habits is a great book if you need some extra help in setting your goals and creating new habits.
2| Cleaning your home, closet, and social media. One of the best ways to start a new year is of course get rid of everything you don’t need, like, and want in your life. Cleaning is a great way to give your place a new life, as well. After I clean, I always feel like the place becomes bigger and brighter, and it is easier to breathe. Our home is a part of us and it makes sense to clean it in order for us to feel better.
Clean your digital space as well. Delete all the photos or screenshots you no longer need and unfollow people who you don’t want to follow.
Setting boundaries and making sure your space (online or offline) is to your liking is extremely important.
3| Deciding to let go of negative things and people. This can be tough but to have a better year, I always reflect on my life and the people in it. I always ask myself if the current circumstances and my circle benefit me or drain me. If the answer is negative, it means these things and people HAVE to go.
For example, this year I plan to stop watching drama and reality shows. They don’t bring anything good and just waste my time. The same goes for people, as much as hard it may seem, it is truly worth it. When I started setting boundaries with people, I was really scared because a lot of them were relatives. But ever since I made a decision to not have these people in my life, I became much happier and my confidence level went up.
4| Being more active. Being active in any form is good for our brain, body, soul, and overall well-being. I know some people get emotional when they hear “get active”. But it doesn’t mean only working out or going to the gym.
Being active can mean so many different things, for example:
- Start hiking or going on a walk.
- Dancing.
- Being active in your community. Volunteering is one of the examples of being more active.
- Being active in terms of your hobbies, ideas, and thoughts.
- Being culturally active: visit museums, exhibitions, theaters, concerts, etc.
- Being active in terms of feeding your brain. What I mean is do you exercise your brain enough? Maybe it is time to do some math or start playing games that are good for the brain and logic, or start learning poetry or quotes.
I am planning to be active in many ways. It includes more volunteer work, especially in the community garden, I want to start playing chess to keep my brain busy. I also want to write, craft, and make more art. And of course, going to the gym and exercising more, as well.
5| Exploring. Be it new places, food, hobbies, or events. Write down places you always wanted to visit and things you always wanted to do or try. Start small with the things in your neighborhood or city and then start working on your list. Sometimes, we feel like being stuck in life and new places or experiences can push us out of this zone.
I am personally going to finally volunteer at the theater. This is something I wanted to do for a very long time and I am finally doing it.
Don’t forget that this is only the beginning of the year and if you fail, it’s ok. Stay focused, keep going, learn to set boundaries, and don’t judge yourself too much. I believe in you and know you can achieve whatever you want to.
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