This post may contain affiliate links. This means I get a small commission for purchases made through links in this post at no additional cost for you.
A new year has this special feeling of a new start. We open up to all the possibilities that lay in front of us.
It’s the time for reflecting on what went right or wrong the last year so that we can create better systems for the next.
First of all, it’s important to get clear about what it is we want to change or improve.
Are there habits you want to let go of? The best way to let them go is to replace them with habits that help you to live a life that feels meaningful to you.
In the long run, those small changes in our daily habits add up and have a huge impact on our overall wellbeing. We feel more balanced and healthy.
I recommend to look at the major areas of your life and choose one habit for each of them and slowly integrate them into your life.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself by going for all the habits at once.
Pick what makes the most difference in regards to your goals for the year. When you integrated one you can slowly start to go for the next habit.
Here you can find some inspiration for healthy habits to establish in the new year. Experiment with them, try out which ones work for you.
Read A Chapter Every Day
Having all the knowledge authors spent years of researching on in one compact book is just simply amazing. We can learn from their mistakes, their findings, their expertise just by reading a few pages every day.
The actual art is to implement the action steps of the books we’re reading. Otherwise, we will soon forget about the important messages we’ve learned.
When reading non-fiction I write down key takeaways and action steps in my notes app to have a chance to refer back to them and integrate them into my daily life.
Of course, you can use your preferred organization tool or a journal, whatever works best for you.
Establish A List Of Healthy Go-To Meals
Gone are the days where we can hide behind the excuse that it’s complicated to prepare healthy meals.
There are tons of quick recipes out there that consider your eating preferences.
Create a list with go-to quick but healthy meals you can always fall back on when you “don’t know what to eat today”. This way you don’t go for not so healthy options.
Make the ingredients of your favorite recipes essentials of your pantry. Something you always put in your shopping cart.
Improve Your Skill Set
For everything you desire to learn more about there’s information online or in books.
Get clear on which skills you want to focus on for the next year and dive deep into the topic.
Search for experts in that niche and learn from them. Ensures that you get high-quality information right away.
You can use Online learning platforms like Skillshare or find some established accounts on YouTube.
The best way to learn is from someone we resonate with. So, if you don’t feel like certain people carry the topic of your interest well, search for someone who you can better relate to.
Check In With Your Friends And Family
Let us always remember how important it is to appreciate the time we have with our family and friends.
Think of the people you want to build better relationships with in the next year.
A set time each week for a phone call or a zoom meet-up is the go-to option if you don’t have the opportunity to see them often.
You can still be there for each other even when you can’t be with them in person.
Find A Hobby Just For The Fun Of It
Oftentimes we only give our time to things we consider to be productive and have a practical purpose.
Back when we were children, we had so many hobbies that we did for the sole reason of fun. We enjoyed the activity so much that we did it every day without getting tired of it.
Try to incorporate some playtime in your current life as well. Do you enjoy drawing, crocheting, singing, dancing, jigsaw puzzles, coloring books, playing an instrument, photography, bullet journaling…?
Training your creativity is productive!
Choose at least one afternoon per month where you lose yourself in a playful activity.
Mindful Consumerism
Make it a habit to question every purchase you make.
Does it add value to your life? Is it aligned with the life you desire to create? Do you buy it with positive feelings or out of fear of missing out on a trend? Are your intentions fear-based?
This way you don’t end up with clutter and you help the environment by buying less and with more intention.
Donating and selling stuff you don’t want to have around anymore can give these items a second life and further help to reduce the huge consumerism mindset.
Go Outside/Get Enough Sunlight
Going outside, soaking in the sunlight, and being surrounded by nature calms the busy mind.
Solutions to problems we worry about for hours (or days) present themselves naturally.
Getting out of the usual environment gives the mind the needed space to expand and go from fearful thoughts to more peaceful ones.
After a walk, the head and our whole being feel at least a bit lighter.
Journaling
There are many ways to start a journal practice. You could try a gratitude journal where you write down every night three things you felt grateful for throughout the day.
Or you use it to express emotions you’ve pushed away because it was not the right time to process them. This is a powerful healing technique because piece by piece you let go of all the negativity that is stored inside of you.
You could also journal about your goals for the next year – baby steps you schedule in your daily planner to keep track of your progress. This method ensures that you constantly reflect on your goals and make adjustments.
Find An Organization Tool That Works For You
Whether it’s digitally or in a journal, find a place where you can write down all your goals, to-dos, dreams, and notes.
A bullet journal gives the freedom to create spreads that fit your needs perfectly. But of course, it’s not as effortless as digital options.
Bullet journaling itself can be a creative outlet and even meditative to some.
If you love to make the process of organizing your life very personal and unique a bullet journal might be the right thing for you to try.
Digital options such as google calendar, Asana, Trello, or Notion are a guarantee for an easy flow as you can often synchronize them with all your devices.
Also, the digital options give you a lot of freedom to create templates that further help you to organize every little detail of your life.
Meditation (Apps)
There’re quite a few meditation apps that make the habit of quieting the mind and training our visualization incredibly easy.
Guided meditations or simply listening to nature sounds provide a peaceful mental environment that impacts our whole being.
As the mind is letting go of anxious thoughts the tension in the muscles starts to release as well, calmness can be felt in the whole body.
The correlation between body and mind is a huge point to take advantage of when we find ourselves in stressful situations.
My favorite meditation apps are Headspace and Simple Habit.
What habits do you make a priority this year? Tell me in the comments!
Other posts:
Sun:
How to wake up earlier and not feel tired – 9 tips for morning motivation
7 happiness rituals to add to your daily routine
list with 68 goal and habit ideas to reset your life
12 small changes you can make to improve your life
How to find motivation to create your dream life
A list with 31 ways to get out of THE funk
Moon:
13 ways to include self-care and spirituality in your night routine
Stay In Contact
Pin it for later