6 Helpful Tips for a Happy New Year

Last Updated on January 8, 2020 by Katherine

Happy New Year!

Whew, Christmas is over and done, so that leaves the New Year. I can’t speak for everyone, but I found 2018 a bit of a hard year and I’m actually glad to see the back of it. So if you’re in the same boat, read on for tips to not leave anything to chance and make 2019 a great year!

It just isn’t about goal-setting, but that certainly will be talked about in this article. It’s also about self-care and working on you.

Please note, I am not a licensed professional, these tips are simply my suggestions and should never be construed as medical advice. Always consult with a licensed medical professional if you are unsure about trying anything new that can potentially affect your health!

Set SMART Goals

You can’t simply just write down a handful of goals you hope to achieve in the new year and leave it to chance. Well, you could, but you might have a better chance of winning the lotto than achieving a goal that’s unmapped. According to Mind Tools, goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely (Known as SMART).

You want to sort of map out how you might get to 100,000 pageviews on your blog, rather than just leave your goal at that. If you’ve heard of SMART goals, the “S” in that acronym is “specific” for a reason. Also, some other studies show that the more detailed you are about your goals, that your brain will start to work on solutions to get to that result (You can read about Neuroplasticity and how it relates to learning here).

Also, don’t go crazy with the list of goals, that’s just going to overwhelm you. Stick to 3-5 goals for the year and break those puppies down into smaller pieces and include specific tasks that will need to be completed along with them.

Finally, I like to reward myself when I get to certain points, so it’s important to monitor your progress. Got halfway to your goal of 100,000 pageviews on your blog? Treat yourself to a new lipstick or something small like that.

Start Each Day Healthy

Health is easily the most important things to keep track of and to never neglect. Though we all do it. Starting January 1st, I’m pledging to do at least one 30 minute session of yoga daily. My favorite online teacher is Adrienne Mishler (You can find her youtube channel here).

Be Creative

Our brains benefit from creative work (Check out this article from Mind Body Green about the benefits of crafting specifically). Crafting is my outlet, which is why a large chunk of this blog is dedicated to that pursuit. I find it challenging and relaxing all at the same moment.

Take Time For Nature

No matter what the weather, I try to spend at least 30 minutes outside a day. The fresh air recharges me and even just a quick walk around my neighborhood can immensely lift my spirits if I’m feeling down or tired.

New Year’s Cleanse

Take a look at your email lists, start unfollowing the ones that aren’t useful to you. If you aren’t sure how many (Totally there), you can check out Unroll.me to clean up your inbox. Whatever subscriptions you add to Unroll.me will still appear in your inbox, but all in ONE email. It’s a great way to see the highlights of your subscriptions without 20 million individual emails.

You can also clean up your computer, go through your files and remove older files that you simply aren’t using anymore.

Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude changes you, I try to end my day with a list of 3-5 things that I’m grateful for. It seems sort of hokey, and I was skeptical at first, so if you’re like I was, just do it for 10 days and see how you feel about it after that. I found that I essentially was able to switch my brain from constantly thinking negative to thinking mostly positive (we all have off days, so forgive yourself when you slip).

Conclusion – 2019 is Nothing to be Scared Of

So there you have it, six super great ways to kick off the new year right. I hope you found this content helpful and if you did, please let me know in the comments down below and I’d greatly appreciate a share on your favorite social network.

Next week is my first post of the new year, it’s going to be a crafty one, all about multi-strand bracelets, so be sure to check that out next Sunday! Until then, happy crafting and have a very happy new year!!