6 Tips For Starting 2023 Off Right

New start to get ready for the next 12 months. How you get ready for that, will vary person to person. Each year we get to try out new ways to prepare ourselves to see what works the best. It's 2023 and the year that we focus on ourselves. This year we're trying the following six tips to not only get through the year, but thrive through it.

1. Realizing you don’t need to set goals.

Some so we know what to look forward to by the end of the year as far as growth and accomplishments. But we don't have to measure it this way. Sometimes we have large goals that take time to achieve, which is perfectly normal. When we put time limits on these and end up not achieving them, it makes failure seem more realistic. Reframing goals and places you want to get differently can make them seem more achievable.

2. Reviewing the year ahead- mark your calendar.

As mentioned before, some goals take time. When you want to reach a goal or a milestone, you need to think of the steps ahead of it. Reviewing your calendar ahead of time and whether you're using a physical calendar or Google calendar, knowing what your checkpoints are during the year is important. You can do a month ahead. Review quickly to see what you have coming up after you've filled out the entire year. You might not be able to fill it out all in one go, but having something to visualize can help your year feel more attainable and controllable.

3. Say goodbye to last year YOU, and hello to New Year YOU

Starting off fresh can be difficult, especially if you are one to compare yourself. Even if you compared old you to current you, these comparisons can hold you back. A fun idea we implement to help refresh us for the new year: Make a video to Future You. At the end of every year, make a video talking to the future about where you are, what your desires are for the new year. 

4. Ask for help.

This is a new one for me. If you're like me, asking for help isn't the first thing I do. I like to try to figure things out myself, but there's nothing wrong with asking for help. And that can look like so many different things. You may not need complete assistance to do something, but asking for help may lead to new knowledge, inspiration, and even bonding over topics with those you are talking to. Asking for help doesn't mean you're weak, it means that you're willing to take into consideration someone else's perspective and guidance. Guidance. You don't have to necessarily utilize it either, but being willing to hear it can go a long way.

5. Prioritize self-care

Schedule time for yourself. Schedule time on your calendar where you can get away and be free from distraction. We're done with working till we burn out. We're not living to work. We're working so that we can have the lives that we want. We build that on our time off by prioritizing ourselves. Whether that means working out regularly, scheduling massages, or spending more time gardening. Self-care will help you sustain yourself throughout the year.

6. Balance work and play.

In most cases, our jobs and work take priority over many other things in our life. Work isn’t going anywhere. The greatest wealth you can build is discretionary time. Think about this and then say yes to doing something you love!

Whether or not you adopt these tips into 2023, is up to you. We realized that we didn't want to set ourselves up for failure, but we also wanted to encourage ourselves to do our best. Whether you're starting goals January 1st or taking the first month to set them, we hope this year's the best one yet.

Author: Emily Schwerdtfeger