It’s a new year, and that means a clean slate. You may or may not have accomplished your goals in 2023. If you did, fantastic! You should be proud of yourself for all the work and sacrifice it took to get there. If you didn’t, that’s okay, too!
Sometimes, life doesn’t work out the way we want it to. Maybe something major happened in your life that needed your time and effort, thus taking you away from your own goals. At the end of the day, you made it to 2024. That is what matters.
Now, with an entire year ahead of you, it’s the perfect time to start improving your mental well-being by being mindful of your life and what’s happening around you. This approach can help inform your other goals and dreams throughout the year.
SET GOALS
Call them resolutions, call them goals, call them whatever you want, but having something to strive for throughout the year is important. They can help keep you on track and working towards something.
A great time to set goals is, of course, the beginning of the year when you have a finite amount of time to consider said goals.
If you’re unsure what your goals should look like, try dividing your ideas between ‘Aspirational’ and ‘S.M.A.R.T.’ goals.
Aspirational goals are big picture and may take a long(er) time to accomplish. Maybe you want to be recognized on stage at PXP later in the year or maybe you want to lose 50 pounds. You can’t accomplish either of these goals overnight — they’ll take dedication over time to accomplish.
S.M.A.R.T. goals, on the other hand, are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-based. You can set these goals for yourself daily, weekly or even monthly. Maybe you want to read the newspaper for 30 minutes per day or spend at least two hours per week taking walks.
Both goals hit all five qualifications above, as the first can help you stay up-to-date on current events while the second will help you reach your bigger fitness goals.
DEDICATE TIME TO YOURSELF
Whatever your other goals may be, taking time for yourself is perhaps one of the most important things you can do to be successful in the new year (or at any time). Burnout is real, and when all you’re doing is go, go, go, then you’ll eventually find yourself at a place where you simply can’t do any more, effectively wiping out whatever progress you’ve made on your goals. Mental burnout will make it harder to get back on track, too.
Taking time for yourself can take many forms. If you like baths, put time on your schedule to take one (and maybe find some nice bubbles or salts to go with it!). If you’ve missed sitting down with a good book, make sure your library card is active and pick up a stack.
Taking time will allow you to relax and recharge and be ready to take on the next step of whatever you’re working on.
DEFINE YOUR BOUNDARIES
Just like taking time for yourself, learning where your boundaries are is an important part of staying mindful throughout the year. Day to day, you might get requests from friends, family or coworkers to help with things. Helping others is fantastic, but if there are times in your life where you simply can’t afford the energy to put toward the ask, then just say no. If you’re asked for help after a 12-hour workday and you still have chores to do at home — or just looking forward to getting off your feet — that’s okay. You worked hard and you deserve it.
And remember, when you take care of yourself, you can give so much more to your loved ones and apply more effort to your self-development goals in the long run. You’ll find it easier to practice patience and stay focused when you give your mind time to rest.
You don’t have to just say no, either. Explain why you’re unable to help in that given situation and, because most people have likely been in the same situation before, they’ll likely understand.
There are many other ways to practice mindfulness on a day-to-day basis. We’ve listed a few, but it’s good to explore what helps you feel mentally refreshed and recharged, and do that!