This is your year! January is the perfect time to dream and hope for the possibilities that come with a new year and a new season. Say goodbye to last year and embrace all that is in store for this year. We believe there is going to be adventure, growth and new levels of community this year. There is good stuff in store for YOU too! Are you ready?
We want to help you get ready, so you don’t miss out! Here are a few ideas to get your year off to the right start.
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De-clutter your mind and your heart.
Last year was filled with many brutiful (beautiful and brutal) moments. Some memories you will cherish forever and some you’d really just like to forget. Whatever the case, don’t live in the past. Move forward and make way for new things.
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Give yourself permission to dream and make plans big or small.
It’s common to set goals this time of the year and there is a reason why. It feels good to make a plan and accomplish something. Nothing is going to change for you unless you decide it will. It’s not just about being able to check something off that you accomplished. It’s also about your growth as an individual and the contribution you make to the world. Think with the end of the year in mind and ask yourself, “who do I want to be at the end of this year?” If you’re answer to that is, “I’d like to be someone that has more meaningful friendships” then explore that more. What is something small you could do in January to work towards that goal? It’s about creating meaning behind your goals and attaching them to a greater purpose.
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Make your own predictions for yourself.
Make your own predictions and write them down! I started doing this as a fun game with friends back in college. We’d each pick 5 words that we believed were going to describe our next year. For example, I picked restful, focused, courageous, new, and different. At the very least, it gets you in a positive headspace and actively helps you prepare for the future. It’s also a fun conversation starter. Write them down so at the end of the year you can look back and reflect on what happened.
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Remind your people how much you care about them. For some, the new year brings with it feelings of grief and sadness. They could use the reminder that they aren’t alone. The older we get, the easier it is to retreat into our own worlds and assume that our family and friends know how we feel about them. Don’t assume! Set a positive tone for the year and with all your relationships by acknowledging the connections you have. Tell them you are excited to start another year knowing that you have them in your life. It will make them feel good and you good in return.
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Ask Someone Else. If you can’t think of anything you’d like to change in your own life, or goals you want to focus on, ask someone else in your life. Goal setting is a skill set and can be challenging if you’ve never done it before. Ask someone that knows you well to give you some feedback to help steer you in the right direction. Or ask a loved one what you can do this year to help them feel more loved. Your goals don’t have to be about you. Think of how good it would feel to someone if they knew you were actively trying to work on your connection with them.
Whatever you do, do something! Don’t sit back and let life pass you by. Be an active participant in choosing the direction your life is going. You can’t control the future, but you can control who you are in it. A year from now, you aren’t going to be sorry that you tried.
Our final thoughts…
We’re going to follow our own advice and tell you how much we love our community. 2018 was one for the books and 2019 is going to rock even harder! Thank you for continuing to partner with us. Happy New Year!