We are nearly smack-dab in the middle of December, friends!
I truly don’t know where the time went, but then again, I feel like I say that every year, haha! This month typically makes me feel like I’m in a push-and-pull state of mind. On one hand, it’s the holidays and I really want to relax and enjoy all the treats. While on the other hand, I want to stay disciplined and prepare for the new year. Do you feel this way too?
I wanted to share with you a few easy, simple ways to prepare for 2023 (it’s not too late!) while also giving yourself the space to enjoy the rest of this beautiful month.
Reflect on This Year
There is a lot to be said for how valuable a little reflection can be! I don’t think you have to be very detailed either, unless you want to be, then you go for it! Reflecting on this year can look like this:
- What served me well this year? What didn’t?
- If anything, what do I wish I did differently?
- What are some of the things I’m proud of?
- What would I like to carry into 2023? What would I like to leave in 2022?
Just by answering some of these types of questions, you can get a feel for how your year went. By recognizing the positives and negatives- it can help you set yourself up better for the following year.
Sometimes we tend to take repeated patterns into the follow year that don’t necessarily serve us well. Maybe it’s our mindset, a toxic relationship, lack of healthy boundaries, etc. Think about the patterns that you have in your life that you might be better off without while you prepare for 2023.
Start with a Clean Slate
Clean slate feels like a blanket statement, but I feel like it describes how we generally want to go into a new year, regardless of what exactly that “clean slate” may mean to each of us. We typically want a fresh start and often enter January with hope that this year will be brighter than the one before. I love that feeling! Something I want to point out though is that you can choose that fresh start long before or after January 1st.
For me, a clean slate means finishing up any projects outstanding, getting a deep clean done in my house, having a clear plan for my goals starting in January, and similar things. As you prepare for 2023, it may look a little different. I encourage you to do what you feel will help you the most to start the new year off well. Much of starting off the new year well has to do with our mindset. Give yourself permission to move forward when it comes to things that you wish you would have done sooner, or better, etc.
Start right where you are and build a map that will get you to where you want to be in the different areas of your life. Don’t allow the burdens of yesterday (and beyond) to steal your joy today. Sometimes our mind has a way of tricking us into thinking that we need to carry those types of mental burdens, but they truly serve no good purpose.
Make a Date with Your Planner
Most of us would use the word busy to describe our weekdays. Maybe even the weekends, too! Because of that, I think it’s important to take some time to jot down not just appointments and other dates you don’t want to forget, but also your goals!
Goal planning is a bit of a process. You can ask any of my fellow PowerSheets owners! However, you don’t have to buy a specific planner for goal planning or spend hours trying to sort out every detail. What’s really helpful is to figure out what your goals are and to break each of them down into steps. You can take even just 10 minutes and use it to jot down what you know off the top of your head. Then, the next planning session you have, you can go into more detail and further strategize how to get those goals accomplished!
Goal planning is a lot like looking at a roadmap…or if you’re like me, Google Maps! I’m not going to lie, I’m not sure I could follow a standard map, it’s terrible, haha! When you know your destination, that destination is broken down into steps. Those steps tell you how to get to your destination from where you are at the time. You’re essentially tracing your steps along the way!
Breaking down some of your goals may be super simple, while others may take a little more time. You may not know the exact steps needed right away, or it just may be a more complicated task. But don’t let that discourage you from creating a plan! I promise you that you will be so much better served if you take just a brief amount of time to sort out some of the details. Then, you’re going to have something you can actually track! You can see how close you are to accomplishing your goal, and what’s needed for the next steps.
I hope that you’re having a wonderful December so far and that this post will be helpful in getting you ready for the beautiful New Year! I’d love to hear your thoughts and how you’re feeling about 2023 coming up! How will you prepare for 2023?
What a great post to prepare for 2023! I need to figure out my planner situation. I might reflect on the year with art journaling spread. Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year Ashley!
https://www.kathrineldridge.com
Aww, thank you SO much my dear friend! I totally understand. I bought an Erin Condren planner for this coming year and am so excited to dive into it! Reflecting through your art journaling sounds so peaceful and I have no doubt will be great!! Hope you have the most amazing Christmas and New Year, as well, Kathrine! 🙂
This is a helpful post as I feel so busy right now I can’t even really think about next year yet. But, I do know things always slow down the last two weeks of the month of December and then I can’t wait to get out my goal planner and start to think about what didn’t work this year and what did work… and go from there! It’s so important to do these things or I feel we just don’t think about our growth potential for the New Year!! It is crazy we are in mid-December already!!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
That’s more than understandable, my friend! I hope that you can take some time towards the end of this month to just relax and work on your planner. 🙂 I agree with you, I’ve found it so helpful to take the time to assess how the year went!
These are fabulous tips! I love sitting down with my planner and getting it down in writing! It helps me so much!
Thank you so much, Laura! 🙂 That’s wonderful, and I can truly relate!
Its an awesome way to start 2023. Very positive and fresh. Wonderful Post! Have a great day!
Rampdiary | Fineartandyou | Beautyandfashionfreaks
Aww, thank you so much Jyoti! I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week! 🙂
This is good advice, especially for someone who wants to be more organised in the new year! 🙂 I tend not to set many goals or resolutions – I’m pretty content with things, and every year always has some kind of surprise since the pandemic (not always a good surprise either, but it is what it is) so it’s best just to go with the flow I’ve found works for me.
Hope you are having a lovely day.
Thank you tons, Mica! 🙂 I love that so much, it truly is about what works best for you and sticking with that! Plus you are absolutely right – life likes to throw us some crazy things to deal with, and no one can plan for that.
I hope you have a great rest of your week, friend! My day is going well so far!
These are all such great ways to prepare for the new year!
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
Thank you so much, Jennifer!!
Thank you so much for these tips. Making a date with my planner is number one on my list of things to do in 2023. Have a great week. 🙂
Annie,
Annies Food Diary
Aww, thank you for reading! 🙂 I love that Annie, I hope you enjoy time in your planner! I’m anxious to get started on my EC LifePlanner soon!
I love planning everything. Great post!
Me too, Kinga! Thank you SO much!
I like your reflecting breakdown. I always try to have attainable goals and a couple of dream goals. Happy Holidays to you.
FASHION TALES
Thank you so much! I love that, those dream goals are fantastic and sometimes we get so much further along than we think in a year’s time! Happy Holidays to you as well! 🙂
These are great tips. Once I finish my Christmas preparations I’ll be able to think about the new year and start planning. Top of my list is to declutter and organise the house better…it’s long overdue!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Thanks so much, Emma! I can completely related on the decluttering and organizing note!
I love this time of year but I’ll be honest that it’s not because of the holidays (I mean, sure the holidays are great) but really I love this time of year because it’s time to reflect, reset, and reorient for the year ahead. I love a clean slate and there is something so refreshing about January 1st. Each year I look forward to setting goals and getting organized for the upcoming year. Thank you for this fantastic post. Happy Holidays and I hope your 2023 gets off to a good start!
Thanks so much, Nikki! I think this time of year is perfect for that reflection period! It really does help to set ourselves up better for the following year, and we often forget just how much we’ve actually accomplished, as well!
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and have the best New Year, too! 🙂
I love this- we all need to find time to slow down a bit and reflect; it’s so important, especially this time of year!
-Ashley
Thanks so much, Ashley! So happy you loved this one and I completely agree with you – it truly makes a difference!