Ever since I could remember, I’ve always had my goals for the new year locked in by the first day of the year at the latest. With 2020 well and truly behind us (the year itself, but not the pandemic that came with it), I’ve decided to do things a little different this year. I’m in no rush to set any goals (other than health related) for myself. I have a long list of goals and intentions on my iPhone’s notes app, but I haven’t really settled on anything concrete. Instead of declaring the things on my list as my goals for the year, I want to spend the rest of January thinking and resting.
I want to spend the month reflecting on the things I’d like to achieve this year that are within my control, how I want to feel and just journal my thoughts and ideas. Like I said, I’m in no rush. If 2020 taught me anything, it’s to take care of myself physically, mentally and emotionally first. Everything else comes after that.
Having said that, I know that I want to elevate the ordinary everyday, surround myself with beauty and celebrate myself daily. I want to choose how I feel as much as I can as opposed to reacting mindlessly to the things around me. In this COVID-19 era, this is even more important as we’re constantly inundated with news on what’s happening in our state, country and all over the world.
Things change constantly and nothing is perfect. Nothing is ever perfect. So while I think through things and rest, I want to engage in three little actions that will prepare me for the rest of 2021.
Declutter my home and wardrobe. In the famous words of Marie Kondo, does it spark joy? I’m guilty of holding on to things that I no longer use and wear because someone gave it to me or I paid for it. Being married to a minimalist has started rubbing off on me and I’m becoming more aware of the things I currently own and if I’m using them. I encourage you to take stock of the things you currently have lying around the house. If they don’t spark joy and you’re not using them, consider decluttering and donating them to a charity shop or giving it to friends/family that will appreciate them. You never know who could derive joy from using those items.
Map out my ideal day/week. We all have grand ideas of how we want our days and weeks to run Most of the time these ideas look great on paper but don’t pan out well in the real world. That’s the benefit of trying it out to see if your plan lives up to your expectation. If it doesn’t, spend the rest of the month tweaking it until you figure out the ideal plan that you’d love to work with for the rest of the year.
Work on my wellness list. I stumbled on the idea of a wellness list on Sydney Liann’s IG. This is a list of things you do for yourself just because they bring you joy and fill you up. Isn’t it an awesome idea? It could literarily be anything. So instead of depending on someone to fill your cup daily, you could spend a few minutes each day indulging in something on your wellness list. The most important thing to remember is that the things on this list are the things you genuinely enjoy doing just for you.
Over to you. What are three actions you’re engaging in this month to set you up for the rest of the year? I’d love to read all about it in the comments section.
