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Happy New Year!!!
I’d like to take this opportunity to cut into the sea of “New Year, New Me” content. This post is your guide to making positive, realistic changes, rooted in self-compassion.
While the new year can feel exciting for some, you get to decide what the new year means to you. If you get excited to view the new year as a fresh start and you feel inspired to implement some lifestyle changes, then do so!
But you definitely don’t have to feel pressured to make any big changes or to set any goals at all, if you don’t want to. And please don’t feel pressured to set goals that don’t align with you.
This post is a continuation of a post from a few weeks ago, where I shared a Mindful Guide to Planning 2024 Goals and Intentions with Notion.
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
I find setting goals and intentions is a more realistic and sustainable mindset for making lifestyle changes.
Do you have another way of framing New Year’s Resolutions? Let me know in a comment.
I’m big on advocating your mindset’s important role when it comes to achieving your goals. This post is going to go over strategies you can use to get in the mindset to set effective and attainable goals.
You can use these activities to get into the goal-setting mindset, just in time for the start of 2024!
How to Get into the Goal-Setting Mindset
Let Go of the Old to Make Room for the New
We need to start off by (compassionately) clearing out old thoughts, beliefs, and habits that don’t serve us. Letting go of old patterns gives us the space we need to adopt new patterns that align with our dream lives.
Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
How to Move on From Old Patterns
This is a very simple exercise to help you move on from old patterns that don’t serve you.
☆ Take a loose-leaf piece of paper.
☆ At the top of the paper, write “Goodbye…”
☆ Now list every habit and thought you want to let go of.
☆ Once you have your list, you are going to destroy it.
☆ Take your list to the recycling bin and rip it up. Ideally, I want you to do this in the recycling bin outside your house (the one you take to the curb on trash day). This is you symbolically eliminating those habits that don’t serve you from your life.
The goal is to create a physical reminder of everything you are letting go of, which will help you move forward in your self-improvement journey.
This activity requires a balance between brutal honesty and self-compassion. Try not to get caught up in self-criticism. We want to take control of our thoughts and behaviors, not beat ourselves up (negative self-talk will not help you improve your life).
If this sounds silly to you, please just give it a try. Something about an activity involving a physical element really helps you shift into a different mindset.
Get Clear on What You Want Your Life to Look Like
After we identify the patterns we want to let go of, we need to get clear on the new patterns we want to implement. Getting clear and specific on your goal mindset, lifestyle, habits, etc. is so important for making your dream life a reality.
There are a couple of good ways to envision your dream lifestyle and make that life your reality.
Establish Your Ins and Outs
This is a trend I first heard about on the Just Glow With It podcast and have since seen on TikTok. “Ins and Outs” is just another way of identifying the goals and intentions you want to manifest (your ins) and the habits and patterns you want to let go of (your outs).
I used Notion (my favorite productivity tool) to list my 2024 Ins and Outs, so I can reference them throughout the year (and switch them up as needed).
Journal About Your Ideal Lifestyle
Journaling is a powerful tool for envisioning your best life. Use this activity to get clear on what your best life looks like. Then, take the necessary steps to start living your best life today.
Actionable Steps for Envisioning Your Dream Life
☆ Take out your journal.
☆ Break your goals down into categories.
To give you some inspiration, my categories are physical health, mental health, career, and hobbies.
☆ Make a page for each category. Write the category down at the top of the page. Then write statements about what your life looks like when you meet those goals and how that feels. Make sure you write in the first person and in the present tense. And make these statements as specific and detailed as you can. The idea is to get yourself in the mindset to start taking action today to meet your goals.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
For example:
Below is an example for you to visualize what these journal prompts can look like. These are just examples of potential goals you could set. Feel free to take inspiration, if these goals speak to you. Or, replace them with your own!
Physical Health Goals
☆ I eat protein every day.
☆ I drink water every day.
☆ I feel nourished and energized thanks to the food I eat.
☆ I sleep at least 8 hours every night.
Create a Vision Board
Everybody loves a good vision board. Vision boards help you, well, visualize what you are working toward. All you need to do is find images that resonate with your goals for the highest version of yourself and create a collage.
You can do this with physical photos, or make a digital vision board. Canva and Pinterest are great resources for creating effective vision boards.
I’m trying something new this year by using Notion to double as a goals and intentions tracker and a vision board. I created categories (Mental Health, Physical Health, Career, Hobbies) and listed my goals within each category.
Then I added an image to go with each goal, giving me a physical reminder of what I’m working towards. You want to choose images that make you feel excited and motivated to continue your self-improvement journey.
Goal-Setting Resources
Click here to sign up for Notion to better organize your life and improve your productivity!
I have written several blog posts with tips to help you set sustainable and realistic goals. Combine those tips with these activities to get you on the way to living your best life.
How to Set and Maintain New Goals and Habits
How to Reset & Reframe Your Mindset to Reach Your Goals ( + Free Mindset Rest Guide)
I hope these tips inspire you on your journey to live your best life in 2024. Do you have your own New Year’s tips or traditions? I would love to hear about them in the comments. Thank you so much for being part of my positive self-improvement community.
Make sure to sign up for my email list above and follow me on social media (links below) to stay connected and get more content to help you live your best life! And feel free to comment or message me if you have any questions or need any support with implementing these tips.
Life by Julia 
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