The time before and immediately after a New Year is always so interesting and complex.
It’s a time of joy, excitement and rest but also a time of angst and dread. Dread as we wait for real life to begin again and have to start enduring all that comes with it again. Over this short time, we have to celebrate the festive season and bring in the new year. We must find time to rest, see family and friends, and celebrate but also completely reinvent ourselves, becoming the best version of ourselves, all before the 1st of January.
Ahead of a new year, we are expected to reevaluate ourselves and our year. Examine the high and low points and come up with a detailed and stringent plan that will help our next year be better. We’re not talking about whimsical thoughts of fresh starts and thrilling possibilities of adventure and excitement. Instead, our plans should ensure we are more successful and accomplished than in previous years and that our successes must importantly, all align with the world view of success.
In this short festive period, we are expected to do all of the above. Celebrate, be joyous, but most importantly plan and work to be better as soon as the new year begins. With so many changes to make and things to plan but such little time, we can be left feeling anxious, overwhelmed and exhausted all before the year even begins.
So here at GirlDreamer, we wanted to give our top tips on how to start your year right.
To begin with, you must disregard the notion that as soon as a new year begins, you must urgently change and up-heave everything about your life to ensure your year is a success. It is rooted in a toxic hustle culture that implies you are inherently flawed and need improvement. It implies that without changing everything, you and your year will be disappointing. These notions disregard the complexity and unique experiences that we have as individuals. It makes it seem that success is a one-size-fits-all system, disregarding our individual human experiences and circumstances.
Life is not easy, and as much as we will that it might be, things, for the most part, do not just fall into place. Achieving our goals and creating effective, sustainable change takes time and patience. It is powerful to recognise the change you want and actively work towards it. But, in doing this, you must remain patient, embrace the journey and understand that change can be slow but still significant.
When entering a new year and wanting to make a change, as well as prioritising the steps you take to create the life you want, it is vital that you prioritise yourself in this journey. Enjoy the growth, the joys and even the ups and downs. Give yourself the space to be human and flawed. Find moments of peace and nothingness and embrace them.
Wanting to make a change and actively working towards it is powerful and should be a process in which you find joy.
A 20-step plan and the rush to change your life will not mean it is improved overnight. Avoid burnout by rejecting these notions that change must begin just as a new year does. Change, growth and working towards your goals is a process, and one that takes time.
To start your new year right, you must prioritise joy and the moments that make magic. Enjoy the learning, the small steps, the breakthroughs and importantly, the significance of your journey. To start your year right, embrace the joy of figuring out what you want and the steps you take towards this.
A new year is a new opportunity, and in starting your new year, we hope that you are able to seek and create opportunities to fuel and find joy, peace, fulfilment and new possibilities.
