How I Prepare for a New Year

Like lots of people, every year I like to spend some time reflecting on the year just gone and figuring out my intentions for the year ahead. When I say intentions, I don’t really do hard and fixed goals or resolutions, but I like to think about how I would like my year to look and what kind of things I want to focus on. Maybe it doesn’t sound much different, but I think it’s softer and gentler and leaves room for change and growth. Sometimes I already have my intentions for the new year done and dusted in December and sometimes, like this year, I need to take some time in January too.

So, every new year I do three things to bring in a new focus.

1. I Make a List of 100 Things I Would Like to do

Now 100 things might sound like a lot, and it is! But, hear me out… Those 100 things aren’t all big goals like ‘run a marathon’, ‘write a book’ or ‘learn a new language’! A lot of them are seemingly basic things like ‘stroke a cat’, ‘watch a sunset’ or ‘bake a cake’. When I started my first list of 100 things it was after a year where I realised I couldn’t remember watching a sunset, as in really sitting to enjoy it rather than just noticing it out of the window. I also couldn’t recall stopping to stroke a cat and I definitely hadn’t taken the time to bake a cake. I thought what kind of year is it if I haven’t literally and figuratively given myself the time and space to ‘stop and smell the roses’?!

Every year I learn from my list of 100 things and it evolves. The first year I definitely aimed too high and made too many big goals that were ultimately unachievable, the second year I added too many fitness goals (which was a serious oversight for someone with chronic fatigue), the third year (2020) I added too many travel goals because I clearly had too much faith that COVID would end quickly, and the fourth year I added too many goals that cost me too much money. I try not to think of these 100 things too strictly though, it’s a guide, a way to keep focus, not a way to beat myself up with any perceived failure that I haven’t achieved certain targets or goals. This year I’m leaving myself some wiggle room because in the latter half of last year I came up with things that I wanted to add in, whilst there were some that I wanted to remove. So, if anyone counts my list and sees that there aren’t 100 things this year it’s because I’m letting it be a bit more organic! (Also, I’m going to keep a few things to myself!)

2. I Choose Three Words

To choose my three words I used to use a set of cards with word prompts on them to help me, but I can’t find where I got them from (somewhere free and online) and I have no idea where the original .pdf is saved on my laptop! But, it doesn’t really matter because you can obviously choose your own words without prompts…and that’s what I did this year as I already had something in mind. After these particular words or themes came up a lot after I had therapy last year I chose ‘Wild’, ‘Free’ and ‘Heart’. Normally I just write them somewhere prominent in my diary or sometimes in the form of an affirmation to stick on my bathroom mirror, but this year I made a little poster/screen saver. These words have meaning to me and I use them as a kind of anchor to keep me grounded in a core set of values that I want to carry through the year.

3. I Make a Mood Board

I love a good mood board and I make them semi-regularly to help me get my thoughts in order and visualised. Sometimes I have a very specific set of goals or ideas I want to represent and then sometimes I just pop different search terms into Pinterest and browse until I find a pin that elicits some meaning for me. That’s how I made my mood board this time. I now use this mood board as my laptop background and screen saver and each time I see it I get a spark of recognition of how I would like my year to look. A bit like my three words the mood board works to anchor me to my goals and my focus so I don’t get too distracted by societal pressures, external influences or expectations. It’s also just fun and aesthetically pleasing to make!

So, that’s a rundown of these are three of the main things that I do to try and get into the right headspace to tackle the new year. But, of course, any or all of these things can be done at any time of the year. Do you do anything to prepare yourself for the year ahead or fancy trying out any of these? Let me know in the comments.