As a new year rolls around many of us start to contemplate how we want to show up in life in this next chapter. A fresh start is such a romantic thought, a chance to re-invent ourselves, to finally be the person that we envision ourselves to be. A fit, organized, successful, energetic and magnetic person that cooks amazing meals for their many friends in their perfectly decorated and tidy home. Ok likely you have a different vision of your best self rolling around in your mind, but you get the gist. If you really think about it though, do you actually want to spend the time and take the actions it will take to become that version of yourself? Enjoying the journey is just as, if not more, important than the end result. You’ve made certain choices and built your life as you currently live it now for a reason, probably because you enjoy it for the most part. Maybe this year, instead of grand goals that often feel overwhelming to meet, you give yourself a little grace and focus on making attainable shifts in your thinking or your daily routines that will nudge you in the direction of your best self. Here are some ideas that I am going to try myself this year.

Focus on a word or an inspiring idea for the year that you can keep at the tip of your mind and weave into any choices or changes you decide to move forward with this year. Sort of a theme of the year rather than a specific goal. A theme can provide direction and focus for your efforts and activities throughout the year, while a goal is something that you work towards and may or may not achieve. Choosing a yearly theme can be a helpful way to give your efforts and activities a sense of purpose and direction, and can also be a way to set an intention for the year ahead. It can be a more flexible and open-ended way to approach the new year, and can allow you to focus on the things that are most important to you without being tied to a specific outcome. For me 2022 was a big year of thinking and listening to myself and what I truly wanted. With the clarity I gained from 2022 I am choosing 2023 to be a year of “consistent action” to bring me closer to my best self and what I now know I want out of life. The idea of consistent action can be applied to many areas of my life in different ways and will result in incremental progress rather than just one specific goal that may or may not be reached. Basically, this is a way to enjoy the process and appreciate small successes rather than the all or nothing, black or white thinking of reaching a goal or not.

Focus on habits rather than outcomes. I’ve read James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” twice now and it really is a fantastic read. It focuses on the idea that small, incremental changes in behavior can lead to significant improvements in one’s life. The book argues that the key to success is not necessarily in making major overhauls or trying to change everything at once, but rather in making small, consistent changes that build upon one another over time. My favorite tip from this book is the concept of habit stacking. Taking a habit or routine that you do everyday without even thinking about it and tacking onto it a habit that you have been struggling to be consistent with. This past year I successfully created a habit of taking my vitamins everyday, something that I have always struggled with. I “stacked” it with my evening routine of prepping the coffee maker for the next morning by just adding on taking my vitamins after prepping the coffee. The outcome of taking my vitamins everyday was gravitating less towards sugary foods. I had more energy and no longer the 3pm afternoon slump during which I would always reach for sweet treats to boost my energy. This coming year I’m planning to add a few more healthy habits to my daily routines by using this method.

Another option is to just be. Yep, you don’t have to do a darn thing just because it’s a new year. Sometimes a slower, relaxed pace of life is exactly what is needed. This 100% was me in 2022. I needed a quiet moment in life to just be. To reflect, genuinely listen to myself, figure out my thoughts, feelings and deciding how I truly wanted to show up in life’s next journey. I didn’t want to progress leaps and bounds forward, I just wanted to relax and settle in. It’s ok to not have lofty goals or want to be hugely successful, a simple life can be a grand life.

The most important thing is that you do (or don’t do) what feels right to you. What resonates with your soul this year? What feeling do you want this next year to have? Whether it’s one of ambition and success or one of calm and serenity, only you truly know.

-Brigitte

^{The Harmonious Home, Professional Organizer and Occupied Home Staging in St.Albert, AB, Canada}