New Years Practices to Start Fresh

Even if you’re not into resolutions, there’s no denying that the start of the year is the perfect time to reevaluate and make some changes.

Whether you’re ready to take the leap out of your comfort zone or live life with better intention, implementing these New Years practices will give you a fresh start to 2020. 

Outline your goals

Taking the time to jot down your goals and aspirations is not only a solid self-care activity, but it also helps you refocus on what’s important.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day. This thought is obvious and simple, yet surprising. Your role models have the same amount of hours in a day as you, so what exactly do they do differently?

For starters, they most likely outline their goals and take clear steps to achieving them. We all have so much to do throughout the day and it’s impossible to get everything done. Instead of focusing on everything, accomplish what’s important and what will move you closer to your goals. 

Keep track

If you’re not type A, then this one can be hard. But, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to start tracking your progress!

Start a spreadsheet (fun!) for each goal. For example, if your goal is to exercise three times each week, or meditate for ten minutes every day, then you can track your goal by it’s weekly metrics. 

It may sound boring, but tracking your progress is an effective way to stay in line with your goals. After a few weeks, it will even turn into a source of motivation! With these numbers, you can figure out exactly what works and what doesn’t work for you by the year’s end.

Commit to a morning routine

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again— morning routines are the bees knees, the cat’s pajamas, and the ultimate self care essential.

Allocating at least thirty minutes every morning to recenter yourself and prepare for the day has huge benefits and can help you start the day with more clarity.

By giving time to yourself in the morning, you are not only giving yourself the attention you deserve, but you are allowing the time to connect with yourself, which will guide the intentions and productivity of your day.

Review the past year

Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Now, answer these questions:

What were your top five biggest wins of 2019?
How did you move towards your goals?
What worked well?
What didn’t?
What habits should you leave behind in 2019?
What parts of 2019 are your grateful for?
What are you looking forward to in 2020?

When we look back at the year in a glance, sometimes we forget the details of our existence. By jotting down and reflecting, you are able to create a stronger memory of the past year and are able to reevaluate your progress.

While it’s important to look forward to grow, acknowledging the past can bring valuable lessons that can bring even more clarity to your future.

Set intentions

Do you want to be more kind, patient, grateful or loving? Or, do you want to dedicate more time to watching sunsets or reading more books?

Growing doesn’t have to involve careers and finances, and can be achieved just by implementing better self-care practices.

By setting a yearly intention for yourself, you are creating an air of influence. When you set an intention out into the universe, the universe will help you achieve it!

So, write your intentions on some sticky notes and place them all over your home. Invite the energy of change into your life and embrace it!

Be open with yourself

Sometimes starting fresh can mean being real with ourselves. Your best investment in this life is you, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to take care of yourself. 

If you haven’t started your journey of self-love, it can seem mountainous. Unfortunately and commonly, we create a negative narrative of ourselves that can be extremely hard to break. Once you realize that your mind is your own restriction, falling in love with yourself is as liberating as it gets.

But, to get there, you have to connect with yourself. So, grab a journal and a pen, and jot down what you love about yourself, what you can improve on and who you want to be. From here, implement three daily self-care practices that will support loving yourself. 

For example, some self care practices can include walking for thirty minutes, committing to a nightly skin care routine, taking screen-free lunches, reading a book instead of going out, or eating more fruit. While it sounds simple, the root of success here is consistency! 

You’d do anything for your significant other, stick your neck out for a friend, or be available for a family member. So, why wouldn’t you express the same kindness and love to yourself?