6 Simple Practices to Intentionally Prepare for the New Year

New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. It’s not the partying (I’m rarely awake past 9 PM) or the presents (there ~should~ be presents on NYE), but the potential. Those feelings of excitement and energy and a fresh start and possibility that come as we plan and prepare for the New Year is the best IMO. Seriously…if I could bottle up the spirit I have that last week of December and access it for the next 365 days, I’d not only be unstoppable buttttttttt actually able to keep up with my almost two-year-old.

Whether you’re a color-coded list-making, structured goal-setting *queen* like me, view January first as just another day on the calendar (the toddler-chasing version of me ~totally~ gets it!), orrrrrr land somewhere in-between, you’ve gotta admit there’s something special about a fresh start. While I don’t believe in creating a “new you” every year, “more, more, more” or always doing “better”, there’s usually an urge to try different things and inevitably an itch to upgrade certain areas of my life…and that’s when the reflecting and resolution-making begins.

There’s also a pressure that comes with these expectations and enthusiasm, and it can’t be ignored. It can be kind of…um…hard and weird and simply a lot to go from the business of the holidays to the weightiness of turning the calendar. I mean, it’s no wonder we typically spend the last week of the year in sweats and a mom bun wondering what day it is, eating leftovers, and stress cleaning (this can’t just be me…).

So as someone who straight-up, unashamedly LOVES this time of year, romanticizes the potential, and promises herself to make the most of it buttttttt also battles that bit of overwhelm that creeps in with those “BEST. YEAR. YET.” dreams – I’m sharing the six things I do to mindfully and intentionally prepare for the New Year for the most success with the least amount of stress.

Champagne is lovely, sequins are SO FUN, and counting down to midnight is great if you can hang (and don’t have a toddler who’ll wake you up at 6 AM). The practices I’m talking about here might not have the dazzle of those other NYE traditions, but the purpose, power, and pure magic they bring into the coming year is worth repeating, and I hope you benefit from them as much as I do.

Spend time reflecting

Every New Year’s Eve Bob and I go out for sushi (did you know it’s considered good luck to ring in the new year by eating fish?). And as we inevitably order two too many rolls and I try ~yet again~ to master chopsticks (spilling soy sauce on my shirt in the process), we share wins and losses from the past year and set goals and intentions for the coming one.

Because I love a good reason to use my favorite pens and notebooks, I come prepared to answer the questions below. These end of year conversations are so much more meaningful and productive when we have a game plan, and these are the questions we like to reflect on.

POINTS OF REFLECTION

What went well this year? Answer this personally, professionally, and relationally. This is your opportunity to brag, beam with pride, and unapologetically reminisce on the year’s positives. Don’t be afraid to look at your phone for photos, calendar reminders, and social media posts to jog your memory.

What didn’t go well this year? Also answer this personally, professionally, and relationally. This is not to beat yourself up, but to be honest and real about what didn’t go as planned or where you might have slacked. Learn from this conversation and use it to shape your goals for the coming year.

What were your top 5 values of the year? Your values aren’t necessarily things you care about, but instead, attributes of the person you want to be. Common values include loyalty, courage, honesty, resiliency, and kindness. When reflecting on your values of the year, ask yourself what your goals and actions centered around, and there you’ll find your values. If you still need a little help in this department, this free online personal values test is great.

What were your top 5 struggles of the year? When I look back at this one, I tend to think of what caused arguments, what frustrated me longer than five minutes, what kept me awake at night, and what felt hard or prevented me from achieving the goals I set. Again…this isn’t a pity party, but rather an opportunity to learn and grow and give yourself some grace.

Did you meet this year’s goals? This is where putting pen to paper each year can be helpful. If you wrote down last year’s goals, pull them out a give them a “check” if you accomplished them and include how it felt to reach it or key steps you took to accomplish it. For any goals you didn’t reach, reflect on why you think that happened. (PS- If you’re reaching all your goals each year, you’re not dreaming big enough. I firmly believe in setting at least one big, scary, audacious goal every year and giving off a “bring it” kinda attitude to the universe.)

I always end up laughing, crying, sneaking in sentiments of how big our Lolo girl is getting, and saying “oooh!, remember when…!?” 5798029386 times as we reflect on the questions above.

Sushi is ~not~ required for this practice (though highly encouraged), but I do recommend setting specific time aside to do this solo and with your partner if you like. Also…I’m serious when I say to write your answers down as you’ll want to reflect on them twelve months from now…potentially in the same dimly lit corner booth, drinking sake and seeing if you can in fact fit that whole dragon roll in your mouth.

Make goals and resolutions

In that same sushi restaurant, Bob and I also make goals and resolutions for the coming year. Because I can’t get enough of this stuff, I also spend a little solo time with these same questions (and pens and notebooks) sometime beforehand, dreaming up what I personally want the coming year to look and feel like.

TYPES OF GOALS + RESOLUTIONS

I used to set one, huge, likely-unattainable goal to prepare for the New Year, then brush it aside with a shrug when things got hard and I inevitably fell face-first off the wagon. Now I set multiple smaller, more result-based goals and have a lot more fun and success with sticking to them as they’re not a rigid, “must do every day” kinda resolutions.

Here are some goals I’m setting this year –

Financial goal: This could be growing your savings, paying off debt, creating and sticking to a budget, investing, begin working with a financial advisor, or starting a fund for whatever your heart desires. My financial goal this year is to ~finally~ pay off my student debt, and I think it’s the one I’m most excited for. Eeeeeeek!

Adventure goal: Even if you’re an introvert or not necessarily a fan of traveling, my idea of an adventure goal includes anything that places you outside your comfort zone. Try a new hobby, see a new location, join a sport or club, say “yes!” to opportunities more often. I’d personally like to visit (at least) two new states this year – one with the fam bam and one on my own – as we’ve only left Washington once since Sloan’s been born and I’m getting an itch to move around a bit.

Relationship goal: You don’t need a significant other to create a relationship goal. You can vow to make a new friend, grab dinner with your mom once a month, or send one “thinking of you” text to someone you love every day. I thiiiiiink I’m going to try that last one (texts incoming, friends!) and aim for one date night a month with Bob again this year.

Career goal: I spend more time at work during the week than I do with my family, so you better believe I’m setting a goal around my job too. Depending on your career, your goals may be different. You can aim for a raise or upgrade in position, work towards an award, or even shoot for retirement. I want to reach 6000 treatment hours as a pelvic rehab therapist and potentially open my own clinic again.

Health goal: Nearly half of the adult population sets a New Year’s Resolution, and of those 50%, three quarters of them set a health goal with the top desires being lose weight, eat better, and exercise more. While these are lovely, I like to set health goals that are a little more tangible like drink more water, ditch toxic products, or meditate daily. My health goal (for the second year in a row) is to get to a 28-day, pain free menstrual cycle. I’m alllllmost there and can’t wait to reach it this year.

Personal goal: Ok…this one is the most fun of all, because you can be a bit selfish and really take it in any direction you want. I won’t list the options (because they really are endless), so I’ll just share my personal goals with you here. I want to journal daily, and you should totally join me by getting hand-written journal prompts sent straight to your phone daily. I also want to take more intentional alone time with one whole day a month to myself, quilt on the weekends, and finish a few home projects. See!?! I told you these were fun!

If you want to set a goal (or five) but have a hard time coming up with them, the personal priorities and values you listed earlier can guide your goal-setting and keep them relevant, worthwhile, and ultimately more achievable. And remember…this isn’t about spending every minute of next year on self-improvement or being busy beyond belief. This is about putting your hopes and dreams on paper to go into the New Year focused, aligned, and excited.

Set a word or phrase of the year

I looooooove the practice of setting a word or phrase of the year. With my reflections behind me and goals ahead, choosing a meaningful word that I can come back to again and again for guidance as the weeks and months go by is an exercise that’s served me well for the last few years.

Last year my word was “settle” – to get comfortable, calmer, more at ease in my role as a mother; to find a new normal as my passions change and grow; to give myself the attention I deserve. When life events came up or I had a decision to make, I would often come back to the word “settle” and choose actions that aligned best with that desire.

As I write this, I’m still not 100000000% sold on my word for 2023. I’m leaning towards “intentional” but also have a few others rattling around in my head. This blog post lists over 150 words if you’re looking for a little inspiration, but you can also pay attention to words that jump out at you as you read, chat with friends, and scroll social media over the next few weeks. I also like the journal prompt “what do you want your year to *feel* like?”, and allow a word or phase to come to light there. Once you pick a word, you don’t necessarily have to get it tattooed on your forehead (please don’t), but you can put it on a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, jot it down on your planner, or simply recite it to yourself every morning.

Get your planner or calendar ready

Planner and highlighter and sticky note lovers unite! There are very few things I love as much as buying a new planner and filling it with important dates and projects. Truth be told…I would ~gladly~ spend 90% of my time organizing a project and only 10% doing it if I could. Between family, friend, work, my online business, and that solo/creative/white space time I’ll be prioritizing this year, I have a lot to keep track of and I ~must~ go into a New Year knowing it’s all orderly and systematized.

I’ve enjoyed these planners and notebooks FOR-EV-ER and finally splurged on a leather folio (yeah…we’re serious over here) to hold the different types of notebooks I fill every year. The notebooks are a yummy, soft canvas that you can customize both the cover and the pages inside and they’re so fun to put together. Here’s the ones I’m using this year –

Classic Agenda Notebook – This notebook has both monthly and weekly calendars inside, which I use to keep track of big picture due dates and events. And there’s even a few pages in the front to jot down the goals you want to achieve, books you want to read, places you want to go, inspiration, gratitudes, and fitness goals to name a few.

Health + Wellness Notebook – This is one my favorites as it has a place to track your main goal for the week, three habits, daily wellness activities like water, physical activity, sleep, vitamins, and mood, a mini calendar (where I write my daily journal prompts) and a little space for to-do’s. I keep this one at the front of my folio and access it multiple times per day.

Weekly Agenda Notebook – I use this notebook to keep track of ~everything~ Make + Manifest, and if you also have a side-hustle or simply like to keep work and life separate, this is the perfect notebook to organize tasks, emails, appointments, and deadlines.

Dot Grid Notebook – This is just your regular ol’ “lined” paper notebook, but I absolutely love having one on hand at all times to write down thoughts, ideas, and inspiration. I’ve also used this notebook as a journal and to tear out sheets and leave little love notes (heyyyyyy fellow “words of affirmation” friends!).

(There are multiple other notebook pages available for priority-tracking, meal-planning, mindfulness, and more! Creating my stack of May Designs Notebooks is a highlight of my December so I just had to share.)

I find that many people’s brains do better with different, specific planners, and they’ll die on the hill that their planner is the best. And I say…more power to ya (because I’m exactly the same)! It doesn’t matter what you use, even if it’s simply your google calendar, but making sure you have a place to review, fill in, and plan for the year ahead is a practice that can bring much-needed peace and clarity.

Read an inspirational book

Reading is a part of my everyday life. As a toddler mom, I have to sneak it into my lunch hour at work and right before bed, but I make sure to read daily, both for pleasure and self-improvement. I’ve found that my values, mood, and outlook on life can change depending on what books I fill my brain with, so as I go into the New Year, I always start it with a book that I know will positively influence my weeks and months ahead.

While you can choose whatever book you want and switch it up each year, I’ve found a favorite that I crack open every last week of December. “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert is quite possibly my favorite book of all time, so it’s my go-to as I dream and prepare for the New Year. Kind of like my word of the year, the sentiments in this book are ones I go back to again and again as the calendar pages turn.

If you like this idea but just don’t know what book you’d read, here are a few others that have changed my life and are definitely New Year’s worthy –

PS- It’s my goal to read more ~life-changing~ books this year, so if you have any recommendations, please comment below! I think women should share good book titles the same way we share Madewell jean sales, so let’s make this the year we do so, m’kay??

Make medical appointments

Ok…maybe not as fun as the others, but one of the ways I prepare for the New Year is to make sure all my medical appointments are scheduled. Remember how I mentioned filling my planners as much as possible at the beginning of the year? Well this includes top-priority appointments that I know I’ll need to take off work or get childcare for.

My yearly visits typically include an eye exam, two dental appointments, a dermatologist visit, functional nutritionist check-in, and a women’s health naturopath. This year I’m also following my own advice and scheduled a check-up with my pelvic rehab therapist just to make sure my core and pelvic floor are strong and coordinated and doing what they’re supposed to.

Depending on your health and medical history, the list of necessary yearly appointments may be different for you. No matter who you need to see to keep your health on track, scheduling these appointments before the year even begins means the rest of life revolves around you health, and I truly believe that’s the way it should be. Nothing else matters if you don’t have your health, so get those appointments on the calendar.

And with that…Happy New Year!

Whether you ring in the New Year in the middle of the crowd, watch the celebration from afar on the TV screen, or are like me and your head hits the pillow before the ball even drops in the time zone three hours ahead of you, belly full of sushi and heart full of hope, how you prepare for the New Year can make all the difference in the way your coming year unfolds.

Now the good news is this…even if you’re reading this after January 1^st (hiiiiii!), it’s not too late! You can do these practices at any time and still reap the benefits from them! There’s literally ~no~ bad time to set goals, buy (and use) a cute planner, make your medical appointments, and read a good book #amiright. In fact, I think a mid-year check-in with all of the above sounds like a pretty good idea too.

Remember…while the New Year is exciting and full of optimism and holds thousands of possibilities, your days don’t need to be about becoming “better”. The above isn’t a recipe for “new year, new you” but rather enjoying the best version of you there is.

So while these days leading up to the New Year and few weeks post have an energy that can be both exhilarating and exhausting, don’t forget to use this time to rest, relax, and recalibrate. Give yourself permission to be present with how far you’ve come and with where you are today, because that’s oh-so important too.

Happy New Year, friend…whatever year or time of year you’re reading this! May it be full of peace and growth and health and beauty and confidence.

– Amanda

Disclaimer: The content provided here does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for personalized healthcare. I’m a doctor, but I’m not your doctor. If you have concerns about a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional.

Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. No pressure, but I have a feeling you’re gonna like what I’ve taken the time to put my recommendation behind.