A(nother) Word About the New Year
Some habits and practices that may help
Happy New Year!
I mentioned in the last newsletter that my inbox has been flooded with end-of-year reflection prompts and planning/goal-setting templates for the year ahead. After looking through (so) many of these I’ve chosen some of the best practices I could find — based on science — that may be of help as we start a new calendar year.
As always, take what may work for you and ignore the rest.
Some Things To Try
1. Journaling
I can hear some of you now. Either this sounds too woo-woo or it reminds you of middle school English class. Here’s the thing — there is real science that suggests journaling has all sorts of benefits, everything from boosting the immune system to reducing anxiety and improving overall well-being. More on that here.
Journaling doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out written analysis of your deepest inner thoughts. According to research, one of the best things you can do is a morning and evening check-in. Just a few lines, answering just a few questions. You can write these in any kind of notebook, fancy or not. You can purchase a pre-filled guide journal containing many of these questions. You can find apps with prompts or type them into a Google sheet or the notes app on your phone. Whatever works for you.
Below are some of the questions most recommended:
Morning:
What is one thing you deeply appreciate about your life?
What is the most important thing you have to do today?
What quality do you want to show the world today?
What would make today great?
Evening:
What went well today?
What did you do for someone else today?
What did you learn today?
What can you do differently tomorrow?
And that’s it. Just a few simple questions that can be answered in a few words each.
2. Reflection
Grab your calendar and jot down key events/highlights for each month of 2023. Then look at your list and consider these questions:
What events/activities/work, etc. did you enjoy most during the year?
Which things were draining?
Which people were the highlights of your year?
Which people drained you?
What are you most proud of both personally and professionally?
What, if any, regrets do you have?
What were your biggest obstacles?
What behaviors and habits held you back? And which ones energized you or moved you forward?
Which systems worked best for you? Which systems didn’t serve you at all?
What did you learn?
What words would you use to describe the year overall?
What are you most grateful for about 2023?
3. Looking Ahead
As you look ahead to 2024, think about the questions you answered when reflecting on 2023, and then decide:
What do you want more of? Less of?
Who do you want to spend more time with? Less?
What habits or activities do you want to try (maybe journaling)? And what habits or activities do you want to continue? Which do you want to stop?
What skills do you want to learn? What topics do you want to know more about?
Which systems do you want to implement to help your life run more smoothly?
Which things felt “off” in 2023 that you want to spend time and effort “righting” in 2024?
This whole process can be as simple or as complicated as you’d like. If you want more help, below are a few resources to get you started:
One Question a Day — for getting to know yourself better. An alternate version that’s great for kids (or adults): All About Me
The Three Question Journal or The Five Minute Journal (More on these two journals here)
Atomic Habits by James Clear — an incredibly good, action-based book about habits
Thank you for joining me here. I wish each of you a happy, healthy, and inspiring new year.
xo,
Beth