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Blue New Year? 8 Ways to Make a Fresh Start in January
08
Jan
Jan
If you’re feeling stuck with last year’s unfinished business, you’re not alone. Many people report feeling like they’re coming into the new year with unfinished tasks, problems or baggage. After all, the change in the calendar, despite all the, “New Year, New Me” rhetoric means just another day, week, month has arrived.
Is there anything magical about January? Not really. Still, we have some advice on how you can leave last year behind with a sense of completion, and start the new year with a clean slate. Having 366 (2016 is a leap year) bright shiny days ahead can be exciting and inspiring. Leave the past in the past and consider the possibilities.
Here are 8 things you can do to free yourself to enjoy and make the most of the new year.
Clean up your correspondence – Take care of anything that’s been on hold or that you’ve been putting off. Go through that stack of mail on your desk, clean out your email inbox, answer those emails and delete the rest. Just one hour per day of focused work on correspondence will get you caught up quickly and take a load off your mind. Leaving you with a fresh perspective and attitude for the new year.
Clean up your correspondence – Take care of anything that’s been on hold or that you’ve been putting off. Go through that stack of mail on your desk, clean out your email inbox, answer those emails and delete the rest. Just one hour per day of focused work on correspondence will get you caught up quickly and take a load off your mind. Leaving you with a fresh perspective and attitude for the new year.- Phone Calls – Call those people you’ve been meaning to get back to. Return the calls you’ve been dreading.Connect with old friends and catch up with family. Do you have something you need to tell someone? Call them. Talk it out. Get it off your chest and you’ll feel a lot better about the year ahead.
- Pay Your Debts – This is a tough one, especially after the holidays when we tend to charge things and overextend ourselves. But if you can clear off some of your debt, even the smaller amounts, it can free your mind and make you feel less anxious and worried about the future.
De-Clutter Your Life – Go through your office and your home with an eye towards simplifying your life. If you have things that have been sitting untouched for the last 6 month, remove them. Give away those duplicate items. Clean out your closet and donate to a homeless shelter or thrift store. Did you get great new furniture for Christmas? Place an ad on Craigslist and get rid of the old pieces. Clean out your closet, clear off your desk. Have a yard sale. Waking up to a more open and organized home is a great way to feel optimistic about a fresh start.
De-Clutter Your Life – Go through your office and your home with an eye towards simplifying your life. If you have things that have been sitting untouched for the last 6 month, remove them. Give away those duplicate items. Clean out your closet and donate to a homeless shelter or thrift store. Did you get great new furniture for Christmas? Place an ad on Craigslist and get rid of the old pieces. Clean out your closet, clear off your desk. Have a yard sale. Waking up to a more open and organized home is a great way to feel optimistic about a fresh start.- Resolve Disagreements – It’s a great feeling to clear the air and resolve interpersonal problems. If you’ve had an ongoing disagreement with a friend, loved one, or coworker, it’s time to sort it out. Why carry bad feelings or anger with you into another year? Sometimes this requires that you take the high road, apologize or capitulate. If you’re willing to forgive and forget, you can enter the new year with a clear conscience, knowing you did the best you could to resolve the issue. Understand that some problems cannot be easily resolved, but if you at least make an attempt, you will feel the better for it. If the other party holds their ground, you cannot change that. Which leads us to #6.
- Rid Yourself of Toxic Relationships – This is a tough one, but is very important. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to cut out those who are bringing us down. Realizing you can’t change someone else and only have control over yourself is a big step. Cutting out toxic people from your life will give you a better attitude and more positivity in the new year. Move forward without negative people holding you back.
- Make A Wish List or Bucket List – We all have things we want to do, places we want to go and dreams for the future. Setting them down in writing is a wonderful way to give you something to look forward to and work towards. Don’t focus on what you didn’t get to do last year or what you missed out on. Rather set down a list of things you hope to accomplish in the new year and read it regularly.
Make A Wish List or Bucket List – We all have things we want to do, places we want to go and dreams for the future. Setting them down in writing is a wonderful way to give you something to look forward to and work towards. Don’t focus on what you didn’t get to do last year or what you missed out on. Rather set down a list of things you hope to accomplish in the new year and read it regularly.- Affirmations – Not everyone has experience with affirmations. They are a great tool to help you change your perspective and give you a positive outlook. Write them down and post them around your home or office for daily inspiration. Your affirmations can be as general as “ The World is a Beautiful Place” to as specific as you want to be. If you have a goal for the new year to take a vacation to Mexico, your affirmation might be, “ Mexico Is Waiting For Me to Save X amount of Pesos.” or “ July, 2016 – A Week on Rosarito Beach”. Affirm yourself, your life, and your place in the world, and your attitude and focus will change for the better.