Happy New Year!!! Welcome to 2023!

I find that in the new year I always have all these expectations that I suddenly place on myself - that I am going to achieve all my new years' resolutions, that the year is going to go fantastically well, and that all will work out brilliantly. While I am all up for setting the best possible intentions and making the new year a great reason to reset and plan ahead, I also think it's so important to remind ourselves that we are ok, just as we are, right now. 

How can we start the new year differently? 

There is always so much expectation (from ourselves, society, and so on) to do all the things and to be and all the things. But how about gently reminding ourselves that life can be beautiful right now, even in its imperfection? that we can allow ourselves to enjoy what we have right now? that we can perhaps slow down, be more present, live more simply? 

I think life is always a balance - on the one hand we are always striving for progress, moving forward, achieving our dreams, and taking action. That is all wonderful and we can find purpose and meaning in all of these things. Equally, it is so crucial to remember to be in the moment, to appreciate what we have right now, to cherish the simple things in life. 

The simple 3-step process to set ourselves up for a happy new year ahead

So, how about, instead of setting ourselves lots of new years' resolutions, we instead think of the following 3 things:

1. What have been my blessings over the course of 2022? 

Sit down with a pen and paper (and maybe some colourful markers to make it a bit more fun) and list as many blessings as you possibly can. 

This will not only help you to appreciate all that is good in your life, but also help you to distinguish what is really important for you, what ultimately makes you happy, and what gives meaning to your life.

2. What are the top 10 blessings I want to be writing down when I get to the end of 2023?

This will help you get clarity on what areas you could focus on as your main priorities for the year ahead.

3. When I am 90 years old, what would I like to remember as the highlight of 2023?

This is a fun yet profound way of gaining clarity on what the main focus for 2023 could be.

Once you have done this simple 3-step process, keep the main answers somewhere handy so you can refer back to them frequently. 

I hope you find the above a different and perhaps a bit of a refreshing way to start the year :-) 

With love

Marcela