HAPPY SUNDAY + HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE <3
Wowowow. We’ve come to the end of 2023. Another year around the Sun! I love how we all look at the New Year as a place to reflect, reset, and re-begin. I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Daily Stoic, and Ryan Holiday said a few things that really stuck with me.
There is a quote that says, “The one thing that all fools have in common is that they are always getting ready to start.” They are never actually starting. Whether that is making up excuses, spending all the effort in planning, or just saying I am going to do it when “xyz” happens.
I have definitely fallen into that mindset where I make up excuses to why I have not started something yet. Where I am planning on starting at some point. There is planning to succeed, and there is planning to a fault. Sometimes we just need to DO IT. Do what we say we are going to do. Put one foot in front of the other. I’m talking to myself when I say this lol….
We are never going to finish a thing we don’t start. If we don’t fail, we never learn the right way to do something. The biggest mistakes I have made in the past have started with the fear of failure. Shifting my mindset to be excited to fail, and look at failure as an opportunity to learn, has changed my life.
Another quote he mentioned was, “You could be good today, instead you choose tomorrow.” This one hit home as well. If I had a dollar for the amount of times I said, I’ll start tomorrow.
Ryan Holiday explains that this is an excuse that lets us “off the hook” in a way. Instead of just saying we aren’t starting because it’s hard, because we're scared, because we feel defeated, we just push it off as an excuse. We aren’t “giving up” because we are “starting tomorrow”. Going into this New Year, my mindset is instead to start in the present moment. Be who I want to be NOW, not the next day.
Lastly he says, we can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. We will never grow or evolve into the person we are capable of being if we keep doing everything we did before.
Yes, change may seem scary, it may seem hard, but I do not want to wake up one day in a few years and look back and think, “Where did the time go?” “What have I learned?”, “What have I even accomplished?”, I want to look back and be proud of my growth. I know this is what you want for yourself too.
So this year, let’s reflect together. I’ve created a bunch of reflection activities for us and rituals that will set us all up for success in 2024. Let’s be the best version of ourselves we KNOW we are capable of being, together.
NEW YEAR RITUALS
Reflection & Recap.
I believe that the best way to learn is to reflect on past experiences and look at them through a lens of learning. Each experience, positive or negative, possesses some kind of learning experience if we reflect upon it. My favorite way to reflect is through journaling. I have noticed that if I do not reflect, then time feels like it is just flyyyying by and I get lost in it all.
To take this into the New Year as a continued practice, I recommend keeping a daily journal, and using these reflection prompts to do at each end of the month in 2024.
Value & Intention Setting.
Without defining and getting clear on our values, then it is hard to reach our goals and live up to the best version of ourselves. Setting values (literally writing them pen to paper) helps us get clear so we can act with those values in mind and live in accordance to those values.
Once we are acting on and living in accordance with our values, the decisions that we make will lead us to where we need to be.
I like THIS value setting exercise as a baseline, but I recommend to consistently revisit these through a journaling practice. When you experience something, negative or positive, journal about it in accordance with this value setting practice. You will learn so much about yourself.
Energy Givers vs. Energy Takers
Separating the things that give us energy and the things that drain our energy helps to make choices to live in accordance to our best selves. Of course, it is impossible to ONLY do things that give energy. Life is filled with challenges and we control our reaction and perspective to those challenges, and it is not often we control the situation.
However, sometimes understanding what gives us energy and takes our energy helps to make choices that do put us in the best case scenario. It also helps us reflect on where we are spending time. For example, one of the things that drains my energy the most is scrolling on my phone. That is in my control to not scroll on my phone. Something that gives me energy is being outside in nature.
So actively making that choice to do the thing that gives me energy versus draining my energy can be a shift to my entire mood and mindset. This practice helps me to realize that and make those choices.
Think about what experiences gave you energy and excitement this year? What drained your energy this year? This is also a practice that can be carried into a monthly consistent check in with yourself in 2024.
Letter to Self
This is a really special practice. On the last day of the year, write a letter to yourself. Talk about how you are feeling right now, what you’ve accomplished this year, what you’ve learned, where you see yourself in a year, reflect on the year and set goals for the upcoming year. Seal this letter and wait to open it until a year from now (you can also schedule to email yourself exactly a year from now so you don’t forget!).
MY 2024 INTENTIONS
The biggest thing that I have learned when it comes to health is that it is so much more than the food you put into your body and working out. Health is laughter, loving relationships, giving back, connection with nature, stresslessness, quality sleep, truly ENJOYING life and surrounding yourself with genuine people and passion.
These are a few intentions that I will be bringing into 2024!!
Monthly Goals
I used to be someone who was obsessed with New Year's Resolutions. Like most people, I would set these insane reaching goals for myself with no actual action behind it. If we set insane goals, they are not sustainable. It is the small consistent baby steps that add up. If I didn’t read 1 book this year, why would I read 12 the next? If I didn’t workout consistently this year, why would I work out 7 days a week every week next year?
Instead of setting these massive goals, I am going to set small monthly goals. Choose 1-3 achievable goals for January. For each goal, write down three action steps that can be made TODAY. At the end of the month, reflect. Did I achieve those goals? Were they easily achieved? Were they not sustainable? Reflect and based on the past month, set new goals for February.
Doing monthly goal setting instead of full year resolutions makes setting + reaching goals so much more achievable.
New Year Cleaning
An activity that helps me so much with starting fresh is clearing out the old to make room for the new. I love to do a big deep cleaning + also get rid of and donate things that no longer serve me.
I truly believe that a cluttered space = a cluttered mind. When my apartment is clean and organized, I am much more focused. One of my intentions this year is to really stay on top of my cleaning by doing scheduled maintenance throughout the week. I notice that if I don’t do this I end up spending a lot of my day cleaning, distracted from other tasks I could be working on.
Since I am a visual person, I am making a weekly cleaning schedule and pasting it on my fridge to stay on top of it!
Comfort Zone
It is so easy to get caught up in the mundane day to day tasks. Routine is awesome, but we can end up not experiencing new things because we are comfortable.
I have noticed that when I go on vacation or visit a new place, I am SO excited. I am optimistic, I want to go out and explore, I see things in a new light. So I want to bring that same mindset into my every day. Treat my own home like I am a tourist.
Each month I am going to pick out ONE new thing to explore in my area. I also am going to do ONE thing out of my comfort zone. Maybe these activities will be the same thing, maybe not! But it will be something new to look forward to each month.
Getting uncomfortable is the best way to grow and evolve. If we stay comfortable, we will never learn new things!
A few other intentions….
Call a close friend or family member each week to catch up + spend quality time with a friend or family member at least once a week.
Spend time learning (educational) something new each month. Could be through reading, culture, language.
Dedicate weekly time to something creative and/or a passion project. Set this intentional time into my schedule.
Make time for ME. Whether that is a slow grounding morning routine, intentional time with myself to reflect and reconnect with values.
Do something to give back or volunteer at least once a month.
Less consuming, more creating.
Spend more time out in nature, versus on a screen. Walking instead of sitting. Getting sunlight instead of blue light. Laughing instead of pouting.
Be present in this moment instead of constantly chasing the next big thing. I want to have big goals and dreams for myself, but also not base my happiness on achieving something else. To be happy where I am now, enjoying the journey.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE + ABUNDANCE MINDSET.
Alsooooo, who wants to join me in Dry January??? Lots of fun mocktail recipes coming up so stayyyyy tuned!
I love you guys. It was a year of BLOOPERS. A year of growth. Good eats. A year of laughs. Challenges & Triumphs. So excited for more of all of that this next year, alongside with you <3 Thank you for everything. Have the best last night of the year ever and I will talk to you all next year ;) Xo - Ella
Thank you so much for all of this. Happy to put this into practice.
This is incredibly helpful! I love it. I'm excited about what the New Year has in store for us. Love you!