Setting intentions before the new year…
This time of year feels so exciting and novel, like the last push before a break from it all… and then after that, a fresh start.
To be honest, I usually let everything go to pot towards the end of the month, letting the festivities burn me out from all the socialising, late nights and prosecco. By the time January rolls around, I don’t even feel like I’ve had a break!
For some reason, I feel different this year. I’ve started practising some of my New Year habits early, as a way to get ahead of myself for when 2024 rolls around. I’ve realised that what separates December and January is just a few days, and it makes sense to start thinking of next year while I’m still living in the current one.
Here’s some of the ways I’m getting ahead of myself before the new year begins…
Planning Out My 2024 Goals
I’ve had a little list of 2024 goals in my Notes app for a while, but really only rough thoughts hastily jotted down rather than any sort of plan for the year.
This year I used my favourite site Milanote to make a big moodboard of goals and plans for the coming year, and I feel so good about what I’ve put together.
I always section my goals in to work goals, personal goals and other smaller, more achievable goals. I’ll also break down some of the bigger goals on my 5-year plan so I’m keeping the more ambitious aims in mind as I go.
Some of my work goals include posting consistently on my usual apps, working on more long-term campaigns with brands and to grow my following on TikTok. My personal goals are things like organise our home, decorate Dahlia’s room and grow my hair. I also always have smaller goals like make my own oat milk, take more photos with my camera and use the sauna at the beach during summer. I’ll share a full list of my aims for the coming year here soon!
Writing Up My ‘To Organise’ List
I’m really trying to find a place for everything in our home, I hate that feeling of not having a place for something and I really try and regularly declutter to avoid this.
In January I’m going to work on organising every area in our house (from cables to the spice drawer and the linen cupboard – and even my laptop and backup drive!) so I’ve made a big list of every area I want to streamline, and I’ll go through it once the Christmas rush is over. I feel excited to make a start on it!
Fine-Tuning My Weekly schedule
A while ago I saw someone on TikTok talk about their weekly maintenance schedule and decided to make my own. I never thought I would stick to something like this but it’s been a game-changer for me. It really helps me to keep on track and also to make sure I’m not doing jobs and tasks in the wrong order – for example, as per my list, I now fake tan on Thursday nights and then wash the bedding on Friday mornings. I also plan a big “everything shower” for Tuesday evenings right after my spin class.
My weekly schedule has everything from household chores to beauty routines, as well as meal prep and grocery shopping, and it really keeps me on track. I’m hoping to fine-tune it over the coming months so I can really make good use of my time.
Working On My 2024 Vision Board
As well as my list of goals for the new year, I also always make a vision board as a way to envision or manifest my goals. I do this by creating a secret board on Pinterest and pinning images that represent my hopes for the year ahead. It sounds a bit woo-woo, but I love the way it helps me to visualise what I want from life. For example, on my 2023 Vision Board I had houses with flowers in the front garden and we ended up buying a house with a huge hydrangea bush right outside. I also pinned images of the beach and sunshine, and we moved to the seaside in the summer.
This year I’ve pinned images of summers in the garden, inspiring quotes and sweet family snaps. I want a wholesome year, so I’m manifesting happy moments.
Keeping Up With My Daily Routines
Last week I thought about trying a new fitness class at my gym, and I sort of thought “that’s a job for January”, and the same day I signed off an email with “can we put this on hold until January?” – and while there’s nothing wrong with that (in fact, I definitely think it’s a good idea to be slowing down right now!), I do need to remember that January is just weeks away!
So I’m trying to keep up with my healthy habits, stick to my fitness classes, manage my inbox – as much as possible, anyway. I don’t want to go in to 2024 feeling like I have to start all over again. I know I will thank myself for not letting go of the structure that I’ve worked so hard to achieve!
Have you started to think about your goals for 2024?
