How to make this new year YOUR year!

Have you ever had the feeling at the end of another year that even though you may have had a great New Year's Eve things just feel the same? Nothing has really changed? Even if you had a lousy NYE, things just feel normal the next day. Every day, the same as before. (Be proud, put your hand up if you had a lousy NYE! Truly, there are so many expectations placed on that one night. Recipe for disaster!) 

I have a proven way to bypass that groundhog day feeling at the start of the year. Often we start out feeling optimistic, somewhat positive that this will be my year. We make New Year's resolutions. And then two weeks or a month later, that resolve has been shafted by the stuff of life. This year, let's grab the bull by its horns and take charge. 

Step One: Do the work babes

If you haven't yet taken the 6 easy steps in my How to Powerfully Manifest your New Year, go back and do it now. There's still time lovely. In step one, complete the year that has just gone, I have been reviewing my year and I've identified some habits that don't work for me and have been able to put new habits in their place. What habits are no longer serving you? What could you do differently?

Step Two: Get rid of what doesn't work

That comfy chair that's too big for your apartment but you're saving it for when you move into a house - donate it. Those drawers that stick every time you open them and you've found other places for clothes now anyway - put it on the street for roadside treasure. Ours was snapped up overnight. Make way for the new.

Step Three: Set up your physical environment for you to win

We're not looking for picture-perfect-pinterest here, we're looking for workability in your environment. What doesn't work in your physical environment that you've been tolerating? I've had a slow leaking kitchen tap, an electrical socket that has popped out of the wall and I can never find a glass when I want water. I sent a third email to our real estate and it turned out the plumber and electrician fixed everything on the same day. Also, I found a new place to store glasses for water - on the shelf right underneath the ceramic water filter. How good is that?!

What's been hanging around in your space that you could put in 'long-term' storage? Collect all long-term storage items that you use only a few times a year and store them in the same place. I made a note of each item and where it's stored so I can refer to it if I'm looking for something. I don't rely on my memory (PTSD brain!)

With this new space, can you carve out a place for rehearsing, prop and costume-making, a yoga practice, or self-massage practice? What are all the items you need to support you in this area? Keep them all together in one place so you don't have to go looking for the coconut oil for self-pleasure and give up when you can't find it. I made a sewing station in my wardrobe! A place with everything I need for prop and costume-making - hot glue gun and glue, sequins, stick-on velcro dots, scrap material, sewing machine, and sewing kit. And I am not even a sewer. :)

Things like having a place to live and so give everything a place, and everything can be in its place.

Step Four: Make your plans for the entire year

Either you are making your own plans or you're in the drift of life, taking you this way and that way. When you design your life, the universe tends to conspire and things have a way of lining up. Map out your year. No need to make it fancy. I use scrap paper horizontally with two months to a page and every week of the year listed. I blue tack these 6 pages up onto the wall and use page marker post-it notes so that I can move things around easily.

First I start with when I'm taking a break. I tend to plan for one or two holidays plus Christmas and New Year then 4 weekends away - once a quarter. I use blue post-it notes for breaks and I schedule them first because, without my well-being, I've got nothing to give. I also make note of public holidays, school holidays, and our birthdays.

Next, I schedule big events and the programs I run in my business in hot pink. I also make sure I schedule any courses I want to participate in to keep me on track and empowered. I'm one of those life-long learners - I love growth and development. Once I'm happy with my plan, I make sure it's all in my calendar. Then I take it off the wall and move it into a display folder where I can refer to it throughout the year.

Step Five: Use technology to support you, not hinder you

• Do an email inbox declutter. Delete any emails you didn't read from the last year. Unsubscribe from any emails you don't open.
• Increase your online security by upgrading your passwords and stop using the same three passwords :) Use one calendar and one calendar only - this is where everything you are committed to doing lives. If it's not in my calendar, it doesn't exist.
• Use a digital assistant (Siri, Alexa, Google) to set timers and set alarms with soothing sounds to go off 10 minutes before your meetings or when you need to leave for your day. You can snooze the alarm for 9 minutes which gives you a chance to finish up what you were doing and be ready for the next thing. This is also great for starting a meditation practice or giving yourself pleasure time. Your brain will be free to focus rather than worrying that you might be late for your next commitment. 

Step six: Get support

One of my favourite mentors is the Australian international best-selling author, Leonie Dawson (she/they). They are a kindred spirit. A self-confessed swear bear, proudly neurodivergent, unapologetically herself, self-made multi-millionaire and with more fun and creativity than you can poke a stick at. Plus they make me laugh so hard.

So if you want peace of mind, satisfaction and empowerment from taking planning and organising to the next level then follow Leonie Dawson's 21 days to Get Organised. I did this over the holidays. Not only will this set you up powerfully for the new year but for life.

And, as Leonie says, you can then feel really smug that you've gotten yourself organised. Plus, if you're creative, neurodivergent, not a Virgo Type-A Martha type and are a normal human who doesn't live in a Pinterest show home, then Leonie has definitely got your back. Check out all of her online courses: Click here.

Take these actions in micromovements and you'll feed yourself power.

Make this new year YOUR year.

Love,

Danica

Affiliate Disclaimer: I’m proud to be an affiliate partner of Leonie Dawson. If you invest in Leonie's work in the future, I may receive a commission but at no extra cost to you.