My Guide to 2016

The start of a new year is always exciting.  It’s a time to begin fresh and look forward to what the next 12 months have in store.  There are a few things I like to do to start the year off right.

Get a planner or calendar that makes you happy and then actually use it!  When I’m without a planner I feel like things are jumbled in my brain.  Even if I remember dates, I have to see them written down to really understand how they fit into the week.  You can ask my carpool buddy about this – I’ve texted her many times the night before an appointment because I knew my dentist appointment was on the 3^rd but just realized the 3^rd was the next day and I definitely can’t carpool.  Each year I treat myself to an Erin Condren planner as well as a Quotables calendar for work.  If I’m going to stare at something for a year I certainly want it to be something that makes me happy.

Set some concrete goals.  New Year’s resolutions get a bad wrap, somewhat for good reasons.  People are frequently super ambitious and decide to lose 100 pounds in a year with no plan of how they will healthily achieve that, or set a goal of being happier without identifying what that would look like.  Goals are always important, but it’s necessary that they be realistic and thought out.  Committing to being happier in 2016 is a great goal, but being happier to me involves different things than it would for Mr. C, so it’s important to identify those things.  I tend to think of setting goals as an ongoing thing, but something that deserves some thought as we begin a new year.

Commit to a healthy change.  This can be something major, maybe as part of a yearly goal like getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep a night or something minor like setting aside time everyday to just relax.  A better you means everything will fall into place easier.

Get organized. After I put away the Christmas stuff I’m always in an organizing mood.  I’m a firm believer that having an organized space leads to more productivity, creativity, peacefulness, and just not feeling like a crazy person.  I’m not talking about a major overhaul here, but just spending some time to tidy up those messy drawers or the closet that has an avalanche each time it’s opened.

What are your must-do’s for a new year?