First off I want to start off by saying I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and got to spend it with your families. I am very grateful for all the love and support that I receive from my family and of course all of you Beautiful Humans!
Now that November is over it is officially time to start prepping for the New Year. I know it can seem so daunting with trying to make it through the holidays and thinking about another year starting, but with a new year comes a brand new start and new goals to achieve. So today we’re gonna talk about how to prepare yourself and your life around you so that you can start the new year with a clean slate.
1. Clean out your Closet
We all know we have been avoiding this. Everyone has that overflowing dresser drawer that barely closes. Or the overflowing closet rod that is holding on for dear life. Girl it’s time, this is your sign to finally take a day and go through your clothes. December is also the perfect time because it’s around Christmas and lot’s of shelters love to take donations especially at this time. So if your not gonna wear them, give them to someone that will. Now don’t get rid of everything as an excuse to go shopping, but a good rule of thumb is “if you haven’t worn it in 6 months, get rid of it.” This doesn’t apply to seasonal clothes though like summer or winter clothes that you can only wear specific months out of the year. However, you do still need to go through those clothes to see they are still your style and fit.
Also clean out your underwear drawer and sock drawer. You don’t need the socks with the holes in them or the ones you can’t wear any shoes with. This drawer is usually the most scary and overflowing. If your socks or underwear are more than 2 years old, throw them out and get new ones. Go through all your clothes this means pajamas, swimsuits, lounge wear, etc. Everything you put on your body need’s to be cleaned out and organized. This will give you a fresh start to know what you have and maybe what you need too.
2. Finances
No one want’s to talk about the F word. But, unfortunately it is a part of life. Now I do understand everyone has their own financial stand points and different situations. Before the New Year sit down and write all of your monthly expenses down. This includes everything from car payments, bills, subscriptions to selfcare like nails and hair. Write down how much all of your expenses are every month. Then calculate how much you make in a month. This will help you keep track of where your money is going and what expenses are actually necessary. Sometimes looking at the whole picture on paper can help you prioritize want’s versus needs. Now for someone like me Spotify and nails are an essential and therefore will be on my budget every month. If you have a subscription that you haven’t used in 3 months, cancel it. You can always reactivate it but if you have gone 3 months without it…did you really miss it?
The New Year is also a time to start a savings account. I can not stress how important a savings account is. This will keep you out of debt and it always feel’s good to know you have a little extra cash if your ever short a month. How to start this is to put a designated amount into a separate account every paycheck. This is an account you still have access too whenever you need but it takes discipline to not use that money and save it for emergencies only. Or if you wanna go to a concert and don’t want to use a credit card to buy your ticket, it’s for things like that. I have $100 go directly into my account so it’s money I don’t ever miss on my check. I know it’s there, but I don’t have to pull it out and put it in the account so it’s easier to keep the money in there. Out of sight out of mind.
Lastly with finances I will say, if you have a small amount on your credit card try to make it a goal to pay it off by the New Year so you can start it debt free! A good rule of thumb is to never spend more than you can pay off on a credit card. Of course things happen but that’s the goal. So pay off your little balances so you can start the year with a clean slate.
3. Phone Detox
Believe me it’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s the end of the year and you have taken all the fun photos and videos and downloaded new apps and did all the things. I strongly advise to take some time and it will take a few days but, go through your phone and delete thing’s that no longer serve you. This includes apps you don’t use anymore and those 10,000 emails you never read. Delete everything you don’t need including pictures and videos. Also organize your phone apps into folders that make sense for you, mine are color coordinated lol. We spend a lot of time on our phone so it’s a daily necessity for us so you wanna make sure it doesn’t stress you out when you use it.
4. Start Creating a Vision Board
Start thinking and planning your goals for the new year and create a vision board to reference through out the year:) I love doing this on Pinterest because the pictures are aesthetic and I can reference it anytime I want. All you have to do is find photos that represent your goals for the new year. So if you want to travel find some traveling photos to the place you want to travel too or if you want to save money find some money saving guides and photos to add to your board.
5. Start New Habits
It takes on average 66 days to create a new habit. So why not start now. You have your goals in mind for the new year so why not start implementing them now into your routine. This way you can work out all the kinks and get derailed before the New Year. Then when the New Year comes you have already gone through the hard part and now you just have to do them. It is never too early or too late to start. So start saving that money or adding a workout to your routine. Make it second nature so come January 1st you can start with 100% progress instead of that transition period.
6. Write down your Goals
Even though we are working on prepping for the new year let’s not forget to acknowledge ourselves and all the goals we have accomplished this year! It is good to take time and reflect on every good thing that happened or that you achieved this year big or small. So sit down and look through your camera roll to jog your memory or ask friends and family any fun memories they had with you so you don’t forget anything. Even if you tried something new that would count as a goal. Write down all these good things and take this time to celebrate all your wins from the year. You deserve a little celebration for yourself. You can also use this paper and these achievements to help you set new resolutions and goals for the upcoming year!
Those are ways to easily start prepping for the new year so you can start it off with a bang! Hopefully these tips help you and get you excited for the new year. I hope to talk more about goals and resolutions in my upcoming blog. Talk you later Beautiful Humans
