Happy New Year! It’s the first post of the year, and the day my blog goes live.
Most people use the new year to start over and mentally reset. We begin the year with excitement, new hope, and a sense of energy (unless you had a big night last night and are now hungover). Perhaps you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions, aiming to do more of something or less of something.
There’s always a mix of feelings – fear, excitement, and the hope that this time will be different – just like when entering a relationship, starting a new job, moving to a new country or city, or joining the gym.
Subconsciously, it makes sense to reset and look forward to something new. But how many New Year’s resolutions are abandoned, given up on, or forgotten as February rolls around? How many moments in 2023 left you questioning what you were doing?
I barely remember my New Year’s resolution for 2023. I recall the daily grind: work, sleep, eat, and repeat. The little achievements or moments are barely in my memory.
Perhaps starting the new year with goals for the next twelve months is too challenging.
I ended 2023 feeling lonely and sad. Instead of ringing in the new year by watching the fireworks (by the way, Sydney’s fireworks are among the best in the world) or celebrating with friends, I had a quiet one and went through my bookshelf for something to read. I came across a book I bought almost 10 years ago, called “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. The book details the author’s twelve-month journey to increase happiness. In her book, she assigned each month of the year to a different area in her life, set resolutions to boost happiness in that area, and checked off every day on the chart when she accomplished her resolution.
For me, trying to remember and accomplish everything at once is a tall order. So, instead of starting the new year hopeful and ending the year having forgotten everything, I’ve decided to start my own happiness project. I will start small – to begin each month with hope and end it by achieving the goals set for that month.
Each person’s goals and needs are unique, so asking yourself what you truly want to accomplish is important. Our emotions and needs evolve during the year or even the month, so it’s essential to be flexible and choose areas in your life that you think need focus as you go along.
If you are unsure where to start, “The Happiness Project” suggest focusing on the Strategy of Foundation: getting enough sleep, moving your body, eating and drinking right, and decluttering. Or you can use her monthly themes as a guide.
You don’t have to make grand goals, every change you make, no matter how small, is a step closer to your ultimate goal.
So, start brainstorming and kickstart your happiness project. Here’s to a purposeful and fulfilling journey in the year ahead!