everyone hopes to reinvent themselves at the beginning of the year, but not many actually succeed in maintaining their goals. these are some steps to give you a fresh start in the new year, from goal making to purging emotional burdens.
take some time to reflect on the past year. what did you do that you enjoyed? what did you wish you had done more of? what could you have done more? what do you want to continue doing in the new year? write these down so you can refer back to them.
pick your top three goals for next year. try to make them as specific as possible. instead of saying “i want to get good grades,” say “i want to make straight a’s and not have any missing assignments.” take the time to think about how these will improve your life.
think about how you will achieve these goals. will you study for an hour every night? will you pay attention in class more? will you spend more time on projects and essays? again, try to be as specific as possible.
make a plan on how you will hold yourself accountable for these goals, ie. rewarding yourself for sticking to your study schedule by making a treat, going out with friends, or buying something you really want. you decide how often to reward yourself.
set up your planner with these new goals. schedule in when you’ll be doing the goals, and physically write them down. this way, you’re committed
now that you have your goals set, it’s time to start cleaning. clean your room, aka. clean it, do your laundry, vacuum, dust, and anything else you need to do to get it physically clean
throw out/donate everything you dont need. minimalism is super liberating, and truly rejuvenates you and makes you feel like you have a fresh start. if you can’t throw out much, try to get everything off the surfaces in your room to give the appearance of you having less stuff.
if you are a homeowner, do the same to the rest of your house. if not, clean and declutter your bathroom.
now that you’ve cleaned, it’s time to cleanse. get all those nasty old energies out by opening the windows, turning on the fan, and burning sage/incense, if that’s your thing. you can use essential oils in place of sage if you want, just mix a few drops with water and spray it around your space.
now it’s time to cleanse yourself! eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. eating better improves your mood and physical well-being, and it encourages a more positive relationship with your body. even if salads and smoothies aren’t your things, try and find a way to incorporate greens, roots/legumes, and protein into every meal.
exercise, even if just a little. exercise helps to release stress and negative emotions and makes you feel happier and more energized.
go outside. like exercising, getting fresh air and some vitamin D help boost your mood and release negative emotions.
now for the best part, the bath! get a lavish bath with some epsom salt, candles, bath bombs, or whatever else you want to add. make some tea/hot chocolate and relax. imagine the year being washed off, all the problems and stress you carry from it, and then being washed down the drain. those are last year’s problems, so focus on not carrying them into the new year.