Are you looking to start the New Year off on the right foot? Planning is a great way to ensure you make the most of your time and achieve your goals. In this article, we’ll discuss some New Year planning tips for planning out the New Year. These tips will help you get organized and achieve your goals. So read on to learn more!
New Year Planning Tips
Planning for the new year can be difficult, but here are some ways to make it easier.
Set aside time on your own or with your partner to assess what has worked well for you in the past year. Also, consider what could be improved and how you could do things differently.
Putting all these goals down on paper will make them feel more natural and achievable. Or you can use a planning tool like Trello. If you have trouble sticking to your goals, try setting smaller ones that you can achieve in a shorter period.
The Setup
- Write Your Goals Down
- Start Travel Planning
- Learn Something New
- Get Fighting Fit
- Focus on Healthy Eating
- Declutter Your Closet and Home
- Make your New Year Resolutions List
- Apply the Pareto Principle
- Financial Planning
- Consider your Relationships
Planning, Planning, Planning
Consider your Relationships
Think about your romantic and friendship goals. What do you want to achieve with the people in your life? How can you better those relationships in the new year?
Do you want more friends this year than last year? Are there some existing friends that you’d like to see more of? Maybe your goal is to date more. Whatever your relationship goals are, write them down.
Financial Planning
First, consider your finances and what you want to do with them in the new year. Plan your finances for the upcoming year by making a budget and sticking to it.
This will help you stay on top of what you have going out and what is coming in. If you use cash, make sure that there are enough bills available so that spending cannot continue without replenishing funds from somewhere else (i.e., your bank account).
Start a savings account and make transfers to it automatic. Keep track of your investments with a calendar or spreadsheet.
Do you need a new credit card? What about investing in stocks or bonds? Anything can help you move forward with your financial goals.
Apply the Pareto Principle
According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of your activities will give you 80% of your satisfaction. It’s also known as the 80/20 rule and holds that 20% of efforts give 80% of results.
You might wonder how this applies to things to do for the New Year – well, the rule can be used for almost any element of your life. You can even apply this principle to friendships. Spend the most time with those who make you the happiest.
Not advocating cutting out all those who don’t fall into this category but simply focusing on those who are the most enthusiastic about meeting up with you and who contribute equally to the friendship.
Lists are your Best Friend
Make your New Year Resolutions List
It’s tricky changing old habits and sticking to new ones. If you write a list of negatives you’re not allowed to do, such as eating sugar, you may be setting yourself up for failure.
Instead, create a list of positives you want to achieve, such as drinking water 30 minutes before meal times. Try to make SMART goals – i.e., those that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.
Tell a few close friends about your goals so they can hold you accountable. Studies have shown that we’re far more likely to stick to a resolution when we’ve mentioned it to other people.
It’s generally best to set one resolution and stick to that rather than a whole host of goals. Reward yourself when you reach certain milestones (i.e., if you write ten pages in one night, reward yourself with an hour of TV).
One thing you might do is to put yourself number one on the priority list. We’ve found that this works great, especially if you always put yourself last.
Declutter Your Closet and Home
Now is the perfect time to start planning if you want to move in the new year. Look at different neighborhoods and what might be available there.
If you want to stay put but want to make changes around the house, start thinking about what those changes might be. Are there things around the house that need fixing up? Are there any big-ticket items you need to invest in for the New Year, such as a laptop or flat-screen TV?
Assess how often you use each item in your possession. For example, you probably wear around 20% of your wardrobe most of the time. Therefore, consider decluttering your closet and keeping only the most frequently worn items. It’s a similar principle for your home and if you find getting rid of things difficult, ask yourself whether an item is beautiful or valuable. Do it the Marie Kondo way. You have to love it, or it goes.
If it’s neither and you haven’t used it in at least six months, then let it go. Charity shops will welcome objects in good condition, and old CDs or books can usually be donated to a local library.
Education of the Fittest
Focus on Healthy Eating
Are you getting your five a day – the minimum recommended intake of fruit and vegetables? It can be challenging to fit so many in, but we have a few suggestions that may help.
Rustle up healthy and delicious juice drinks to start the day right. Why not try a new fruit or vegetable every so often too? There is always something new showing up at the grocery store.
If you find it hard to resist temptation when eating out, go to restaurants that only serve healthy food until you’ve achieved your ideal weight.
Get Fighting Fit
Are you planning to lose weight or gain muscle in the new year? You need a plan for that, too!
It’s a popular time of year to join a gym but first, ask yourself if that’s your favorite form of exercise. You’re more likely to stick to something that you enjoy.
Dance classes such as Zumba are another excellent option for getting fit; they burn many calories too. If you like being outdoors, consider cycling, running, or a boot camp.
Break your goal down into small, achievable steps for the best chance of success. For example, if you’ve always dreamed of running a marathon, start alternating walking and running over short distances before working your way uphill sprints to build up endurance.
Learn Something New
Seize the New Year by planning to learn a new skill. There are lots of resources online. Google is your best friend – remember that!
Try out a musical instrument, a new language, or a sporting skill; trying something new will energize you for the whole year. Additional benefits may include making new friends, getting fitter, or increasing concentration.
The Groundwork
Start Travel Planning
It is also an excellent time to plan your travel for the year. If you want to go on a couple of trips, make sure that you save up now. There are many great deals if you book in advance, and some airlines offer significant discounts when tickets are bought well in advance.
Do you have any trips already planned? You’ll also want to consider if any places might be off-limits because of political unrest or travel restrictions.
Whether you prefer to use a printed or online calendar, we suggest inputting key dates first, like personal vacations and school holidays.
With careful planning, you can maximize your time away by booking off dates on either side of some national holidays. Reserve the flights and accommodation as soon as possible, since they’re likely expensive at these peak periods.
Think about the trips you’d like to make in the next couple of months – skiing is a must for all winter sports fans. If there’s a bucket list destination that you’re keen to travel to, start saving all articles about it that you can find online.
One of the best ways to do so is on Pinterest, a goldmine of information for travel planning.
Write Your Goals Down
So, each evening, jot down what you want to achieve the next day. It helps to focus the mind. Don’t beat yourself up if your goals slip from time to time but give yourself a small reward each time you achieve one.
In addition, write out your goals for the next 12 months and post them somewhere visible so you’ll be reminded of them every day.
In Conclusion:
New Year Planning Tips
Achieving personal goals in the New Year is easier if you start planning for them now. The New Year isn’t the only time to make resolutions.
This should be a year-round process of taking stock of your life and planning how you want things to go. You don’t have to do all these essential tasks at once – take one step at a time.
Remember that it’s okay if things don’t go according to plan – keep moving forward! Also, be patient – it takes time to achieve your goals!
We hope you’ve found these suggestions for planning for the New Year helpful. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead. What are you planning for the New Year?
Oh, by the way…you can pick up our New Year Planner in our shop.
