Planning for the new year 📆
Ahh, December. Sweet December. The month of planning. The month of closure. The month of reflection. I’ve always loved December. Not because of its signal of closure for the past year—but instead, its signal of a fresh start ahead.
While others like to end the year deciding who or what relationship they’re going to sever (no judgment! I’ve always loved a good clean slate ◡̈), in recent years, I’ve decided to change the way I think about the year-end. By this, I mean no longer focusing on all the negatives and thinking more about the positives in my life, specifically from the past year. I know, I know. So cliché. But it really does help. I genuinely believe, “the more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.”
Sometime in the middle of the year, I decided to focus on the little successes or joys that I’ve accomplished or experienced that might otherwise be forgotten. How? I found an app that lets me add “notes” to a “jar” anytime something good happens to me that I am grateful for. When I may not be feeling my best or need a bit of inspiration, the app lets me “shake the jar” for a random sprinkle of positivity, AKA, one of my previous entries. I have yet to shake the jar, not because I haven’t felt down yet, but because I'd rather see all my happy entries at the end of the year as a sort of celebration. For those interested, the app is called “Gratitude Jar” on the App Store.
If journal entries aren’t your thing, don’t sweat it. There are many other ways to practice gratitude for the year you’ve had. Another personal belief I have is physically speaking about the things you’re grateful for. As a Christian, this comes easily to me as it’s a form of thanking God for all the good he’s done for me. Often times, we’re so busy living life that we forget to stop and smell the flowers. We forget just how blessed we truly are. Waking up every day is a blessing in itself. But, under-appreciated blessings are a conversation for another day.
Today’s conversation is about what you plan to do this December. Are you a planner? Are you a reflector? Are you both? I challenge you to find out. Some may even say in order to plan for the year ahead, you HAVE to reflect.
So after reading your journal entries or shaking that jar up, think about what you want next. What new journal entries do you want to have written for the next year? What goals do you have for yourself, whether personal, professional, or physical? Who do YOU want to be next year? Write it down. Vocalize it. Speak it into existence. We can do whatever we want if we put action to it. No more “one day,” it’s time for day one. Creating a plan for yourself and your future is the first step to creating a better you. I’m big on organization, so I believe in vision boards, affirmations for the year, and a prayer to wrap it all up in a bow.
Whatever you decide to do, do it for your future self. Your later 20-something self will thank you.
Let me know in the comments how you’re planning for the year ahead this December! Here are some ideas for you:
Review and reflect on the past year - What did you like? What didn’t you like? What don’t you want to carry on with you into the new year? What do you want more of? Write these down somewhere. 🧠
Plan ahead for the new year - How will you make the goals you want to achieve happen? What do you need to do? Create a written plan. 🗒️
Say your affirmations - Vocally express what you want and who you want to be next year. Say this to yourself daily. Make yourself believe it is already set in motion. For example, “I will become financially successful in the upcoming months.” 🎤
Say a prayer - Be thankful for what you already have. Ask for what you want. Promise to do the work you need to get to where you want to. 🙏🏾
Allow room for flexibility - Rome wasn’t built in a day. Have grace with yourself. Becoming a better you takes TIME! 🕒
I wanted to share this with you early on so you have time to prepare. I hope you take heed to the advice I shared above! Cheers to us becoming a better us next year! We’ll touch on this again in early January. 💋
Song of the day 🎵