The end of each year can be a time for reflection and for setting the tone for the coming year. These 5 practical tips to the end year strong are reminders that, even in this busiest of seasons, we can all afford a few minutes to focus on what is most important.
Every year, on or just before the end of the year, I take a few minutes to go through the process that I am sharing with you today. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. Just a few minutes to take stock. Writing it down helps me organize my thoughts. I use a loose sheet of paper that I can hang up, usually in my closet. Then I will see it every day and be reminded of this process. Which is especially useful in the last months of winter/first months of spring, when I am working to create the new routines and systems that will become my ongoing habits in the new year.
Read more about Creating a New Habit here.
Write this down. Hang it up. Look at it daily.
5 Practical Tips to End the Year Strong
1. REVIEW YOU PROGRESS.
Start with focus on the positives you have achieved in the past year. If you’ve kept a habit tracker, this is one place it can really be useful. (If you don’t have a habit tracker, download ours by following the link below and entering your email address.) Look at, or think about the goals you had for yourself in the previous year and what progress you’ve made toward them. Focus on progress over perfection and on the positive work you have done.
2. GRATITUDE.
Do not skip this step. It really makes a difference. Send up a word of gratitude for what you have been able to accomplish in the past year. Send it to anyone and any thing who has helped you along the way – inspired you, assisted you, guided you, encouraged you, supported you, cleared a path for you… And most importantly, send a word of gratitude to yourself for showing up.
3. DE-CLUTTER.
Before we invite in the new, we have to make room by letting go of the old. This could be a general de-cluttering of your environment, or it could be specific to the goals you have in mind for the coming year.
Obviously, if you have in mind better nutrition in the coming year, you could start by cleaning out the pantry. But you can also think of de-cluttering your mental and virtual spaces, too. For example, if you have in mind to surround yourself with more uplifting people in the coming year, you could start by cleaning out your friend-list on Facebook. If you have in mind to invite in more positive energy and thoughts in the coming year, you could start by unfollowing the social feeds that tend to make you angry and send you into negative thought spirals.
Before we invite in the new, we have to make room by letting go of the old.
4. MAKE A PLAN.
Now it is time to decide what kind of tone you are going to set for yourself in this brand new year. Again, a habit tracker comes in useful here. Check out our article from June 4, 2023, “130 Inspired Ideas to Create More healthful Habits,” for inspiration. Decide on a few, realistic goals. I like to make goals for different areas of life. I don’t want all of my goals to be about taking better care of my physical health, rather I want goals designed to improve my relationships, my mental well-being, my financial well-being, and my work life, also. Focus on areas of your life where you really want to see an impact.
5. START TODAY.
Ready for the kicker? You do not have to wait until January 1 to start. There is value in the advise to set a date, prepare for that day, and go all in. Maybe you know yourself and you know that strategy works best for you. I find that it feels like soooooo much pressure to start something new on Jan 1!
If I start taking smaller steps now, then by the time Jan 1 comes, I am already in the swing of things. What steps can you take today that will set you on the path to ending this year strong?!
Does fitness training play a role in your goals for the upcoming year? TrainMovePlay offers free, all-levels, all-inclusive pop-up workouts on Thanksgiving Day, December 24, and December 31. If you are in the Lexington area, join us! If not, visit our YouTube channel for workout demos you can try at home or find a trainer or class in your area. It is never too early, nor too late, in the year to make some progress.
For workout demos and inspiration, visit our YouTube channel: TrainMovePlayPT
Train Smart. Move Well. Play Hard, friends.