It is that time of year again when we finally start to say goodbye to another year and feel hopeful and determined about the incoming new year. It can provide some wonder into the hopes and dreams for the year ahead and into the future after that. It is a comforting and nice feeling. I am mindful that for some, it is a chance to let go of the past year if it has been full of challenges and difficulties and for some that may continue with no respite. It’s ok, it is a natural and much-needed part of life rich cycle from time to time. We cannot be in a happy, clappy place all the time, we would be bored and lifeless, yet so many pretend in their land of fantasia, that is the ultimate destination and meaning of life – to have everything sewn up in all aspects of your life so there are no challenges, no stretch and no opportunity for further learning and service to others. That desire in itself is what gives us a lack of peace because we strive for an unnatural state of being. We are whole and like the tides of the sea, there has to be an ebb and flow. Accepting that is vital for lasting peace and building trust in our life that with divine timing things work out in a way we could never imagine.
For me, the imminent first day of the new year and I would even extend it to the first month of the new year, is a chance to be different and do differently to grow in me, to further enhance my understanding of my meaning and purpose of this life with excitement and vibrancy and to be open to opportunities and little surprises. To be able to harness this state of internal power is all about presence- that takes care of the future anyway, so I don’t plan too much, instead, I enjoy moments and tokens of time given to me to forge the best version of myself and definitely not the perfect version of myself.
It may be that the first day of the new year is certainly a mixed bag for many, as is the way that we experience our the first day of the New year- most will celebrate it with a hangover and sleep tiredness from all the festivities of Christmas and the lead up to it. Some start their day with a nice early walk in nature with their dog, some will continue connecting with family and don’t want normality back when guests and family start to drift off and leave again. The importance of first day is significant for levelling up and laying the foundation that best serves you. It doesn’t matter how you do it- it’s yours to own. Most will start the same set of goals they still have not achieved and the constant recycling of eating healthier, exercising more and getting a new job are tired concepts that are often forgotten about by February so don’t bother wasting time but if you truly believe you can do this year- then it’s not for me to say leave them out!
This is not about the precise timings of when to get started with your new year. Start when you are ready – the force to change things has to be an internal motivating factor not form one that belongs to someone outside of you. So don’t get distracted by others’ goals and desires. Goal setting has to be fully owned by you and only you. It is understandable to keep the good feeling of Christmas and family together for a little longer because today it represents togetherness even if you don’t celebrate in its religious tone. It is the only holiday that many
have together. Shops are closed and industry comes to a standstill giving their members and staff much-needed family time and travel to be with family. It is important to sustain the momentum for things that have worked so well for you in the past but also equally let go of the things that have not served you or have restricted your way of living. That means only you can decide on what the New Year can start to bring to you once you are in alignment and in the so-called zone.
In my previous blog on “bad things come in 3`s but it is more in 6s”, I mentioned the challenges I have had to face these past months but my overall experience of this year in 2022 has been good overall and I have used this year to buckle down and get done what needs to be done and hopefully paved the way to bringing on some important changes for 2023.
There are many things I will be letting go of and leaving behind as I forge my path ahead aligning it with my new future. I am excited and nervous – it’s going to take a leap of faith again and one that is most definitely out of my comfortable life, to an even bigger degree. So what is the best practice for making our incoming new year better, greater, relieved, and even more beautiful? It depends on what changes you need to make or want to!
So first, acknowledge and celebrate all that you have achieved throughout your life so far- don’t minimise it one year at a time – life is a continuum so can be looked at overall. You will find some things from the past you forgot about to celebrate again today. On New Year’s day, I like to wake up early and spend the first 90 minutes writing or journaling, then some breakfast and exercise and make some monthly plans for the first quarter of the year that are both personal and work-related – that become my foundation and I decide on what I want for every part of my life. If at any time throughout the process I hear myself telling myself that I cannot achieve it or that it won’t happen, then I correct the thoughts and pretend it has happened already to zone out doubts. Furthermore, the environment around making goals needs to be calm and serene and it is a good idea to make goals with different values and levels. By that, I mean get some easy wins in to ease the year in, to be able to
start it off in a great positive way.
Don’t set yourself a goal that will take time and will not be straightforward – those come in at some point and you will need to work on those consistently throughout the year. One of my small win goals even as a health coach and author of ‘Your Journey into REAL HEALTH’, is that I have re-engaged with the gym environment as an added opportunity for exercise and socialising. A gym opened locally with a great monthly fee which means that I can pop in after work it is 5 minutes there and back and is open 24 hours, so very flexible which supports my working patterns, and has great free parking, it is safe for women to walk in and out of with good lighting and has most of the barriers I had put up from going to the gym in town, that have gone. Since it opened, I have been going 4/5 times a week for a mix of classes and my own workouts and I love the social aspect of it in this gym- been reconnected with some local people. It is a win-win so making this my goal to continue and sustain throughout 2023 has got to be an easy win even during a busy work schedule it drops to 4 times a week instead of 5 – it is still keeping me on track, but if I have to concentrate on losing 4 stone (luckily I don’t need to or want to) that may be freight with difficulties and pressure to give up it is not an easy win and needs a careful strategy and is more along term.
So think, reflect and channel your needs and desires with clarity and form then make Spector gaols timed and with good feelings. it is important to process whatever is going on for you first even though processing may have to continue in 2023 and beyond but you have started and that’s got to be a good thing. Get help if you need to and can’t process it on your own. Processing is magic! Time is the best healer, make time, give yourself time, and don’t rush through things, instead you can set some goals to help you with creating time, self-care and so on. I love looking at my year/s ahead with an attitude of gratitude and building from there with love and hope remaining as grounded life elixirs bringing forth imaginative skills to transport you to a better life whatever that means for you.
The important thing is to do something about clearing whatever needs clearing before you set goals for next year so that you don’t carry anything that could sabotage your year ahead from this year. it could be the slightest thought, emotion or behaviour that can have a lasting impact on you in a negative way, spiralling you away from clarity and determination. Much of the last three months has been a sense of clearing for me anyway and as I come to the end of tying some loose ends and moving on would be a very nice feeling, that gives me the unblocked road ahead with added strength to embrace whatever comes my way but my direction onwards upwards ad definitely forward, armed with trust, courage and resilience. Here is to 2023 and beyond!
