Every year around this time, we start hearing the painfully repetitive "new year, new me" diatribe. I've already covered in my previous New Year's blog ("New Year, Same Me") how the simple changing of the calendar has no bearing on our fortune. The year does not dictate how your life runs, and the flipping of dates will not change your luck. It's your attitude and your activeness that will make this year the best year of your life, and nothing more. You alone dictate how your days will go. So let's look at some ways that you can actively make 2021 feel like a fresh start.
1. Declutter Your Life
I've discussed this one in previous blogs, but decluttering is one of the most purposeful and active ways to clean out your literal baggage. Clean your area, organize your drawers, and get rid of things you never use. Head into 2021 with a fresh start. Not only will this help you to make the most of the things you really want to use, but it will make you feel way lighter and more accomplished. A crowded area can be stressful and can cause actual emotional baggage. So take one room per day, even if it's just for an hour, and begin to tidy up your physical life. You'll feel better instantly and you'll be able to focus on other tasks quickly.
2. Surround Yourself With Quality People
The company that you keep will really affect your mood. When you look back each year over your "year in review", you often think of the people you met and the memories you made. So the new year is a great time to start taking in positive vibes from positive people. Take some time to schedule hangouts with friends whom you miss. Take 15 minutes per week and call or video chat a friend who lives far away. Google search creative hangout ideas. Distance yourself from people who give you negative energy or make you feel hard to love. You'll be surprised at how much more you appreciate yourself when you have positive and accomplished people in your life.
3. Take Steps Toward The Body You Love
With an overwhelming number of the people I council, one of their biggest regrets is their body. Most people aren't in the kind of shape they want to be in, and the common excuse is "I have no time to work out". To that I say, make time. Your health and your body are the single most important thing, because if you aren't feeling healthy, then you can't give your best to your job, your family, or any other tasks in your daily life. Whether it's walking around the kitchen, doing a 20 minute yoga session, YouTubing a 10 minute stretch routine, or getting to the gym when you can, you have to make your health a priority. Otherwise you won't be here long enough to cultivate all other the things you're working toward.
4. Replace Your Scrolling
A big part of our unhappiness is because of how we spend our "down time". We tell ourselves we're too busy to cook or clean or work out or see friends, but how much time do you spend idly scrolling on mindless apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? How much time did you spend comparing yourself to someone else's status in 2020? Replace that useless intake and self-loathing with things that can sanctify your spirit. Buy something on Amazon to aid your rest. YouTube a new artsy skill like learning an instrument or drawing. Google knowledge by typing questions you've always wanted the answers to. Replacing that comparison to others with things that will make your mind or body more full, will truly be a better use of your time.
By putting these things into place, we've improved our homes, our social lives, our bodies, and our minds. Even by taking ten minutes per day on each, you'll notice a remarkable difference in the way you tackle your day-to-day life. That way, you can truly see changes forming as you make 2021 into your best year ever.
