So, it’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re sitting there contemplating how much your life has changed over the last year. You’ve made some fantastic memories with loved ones and friends. You’ve also accomplished some pretty big goals, and you’re feeling proud of yourself right now.

But the truth is that change happens all year long – not just on New Year’s Day on a whim.

The new year brings new opportunities to improve ourselves. But, sometimes, we need to make those changes even more so than others. So here are my tips for making this New Year truly one of change:

“New Year, New You” doesn’t work.

The New Year, New You mindset is one that we’ve all heard about. It’s a catchy phrase used by marketers and motivational speakers alike. But how effective is this mindset?

When people use this mindset as an excuse to start something new in their lives or even make minor changes (like eating healthier), they often find that they’re not as committed to their goals as they hoped. 

Unfortunately, this leads many people into an endless cycle of repeatedly starting new things without reaching their ultimate goal.

Your mindset is key

It’s about more than just doing new things. It’s about feeling like you are capable of doing them.

Your mindset determines whether or not you will go through with those New Year’s resolutions.

It’s also the foundation for your life; if you think negatively, there is no way that your actions and life can be positive. Therefore, it is vital to develop a positive mindset to succeed in anything—your career, relationships, and health goals included.

This means changing how we look at ourselves and the world around us to find meaning and happiness within ourselves.

Set goals, not resolutions

When you make a change, it’s essential to set goals, not resolutions. A specific goal can be achieved by a certain date or time; a resolution is more of an abstract decision that doesn’t have an end date.

Goals are usually things like losing 20 pounds, starting a new business, or writing a book in 90 days. Resolutions can be “stop procrastinating” or “be more patient with my family members.”

Resolutions are often too broad (or vague) because they don’t tell you how exactly it will play out in practice. 

You could write, “I want to lose weight,” as your resolution, but what happens? How much weight do you need to lose? What kind of exercise program do you need? Where should I go for help if I start having trouble reaching my goals? These questions all need answers before any progress can happen!

On the other hand, setting specific and measurable goals allows us to identify our weaknesses so we know where improvements need to be made before we even start working toward them (and give ourselves an excuse if we fail). This also helps us keep track of our progress: did I meet this goal yesterday/this week/this month?

Keep a list of things you want to do in the new year

Writing a list of things you want to do in the new year is an excellent place to start. But first, write down what you want to do and when. For example: Get a spa membership on May 28th.

This is important because it helps you keep track of your progress and gives you something concrete to work toward. If specific things seem too hard or impossible, don’t write them down! You can always add those later when they become more realistic goals.

Make gratitude lists

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life, whether it’s work or family commitments. Unfortunately, this can lead to dissatisfaction with our current situation and even a negative outlook.

Gratitude lists are a great way to keep yourself focused on the good things in life. You can make a list of things you are grateful for, then read it every day (or multiple times throughout the day) until they feel familiar enough that they’re ingrained in your mind.

Alternatively, if gratitude is not high on your list of priorities, but self-improvement is essential to you, why not start with what you want? First, write down all those aspects of yourself or your life that would make for an improved version.

Find quality friends who support you and your goals, whatever they may be

Finding friends who will listen to and support your goals is also essential. Keeping up with your thoughts can be challenging, so having someone else to bounce ideas off is an excellent way to get more done.

Finding positive and supportive people willing to help achieve your goals is also essential. If they have a similar purpose, they’ll understand what it means when things aren’t going well for one person or another in the group (and vice versa).

Having friends who will celebrate successes with you is also very helpful! The more people celebrate each other’s achievements, the better they feel about themselves and their achievements—which leads them toward more success!

You can also join Facebook or LinkedIn groups with strangers dedicated to helping you stay accountable.

The bottom line is to FIND YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM!!

Remember that change doesn’t happen overnight

If you hope to start the new year with a bang, you may be disappointed. You might feel like nothing has changed and that your hard work has been for nothing.

While it’s essential to remember that change takes time, we can help speed up the process by taking a step back from our goals and checking in on ourselves.

When we set out to make significant changes, we easily get caught up in our expectations about what should happen next. But, of course, we want everything to happen immediately: no waiting around for progress, right?

But one thing that needs patience above all else is change itself. If there are immediate results from something, it wasn’t very effective at helping you grow or change (for example, fad diets). 

Time is not always on your side, so make the most of it now

You think many things may take time, but they don’t. Deciding to make a change is one of them. It’s easy to say that you’ll get around to it later or wait for the right time, but there is no right time for anything.

You take your life day by day and every day has its own challenges and 

opportunities. So please make the most of what you have now by focusing on living in the moment, being mindful of what needs attention in your life, and letting go of what doesn’t matter as much as you used to believe it did (or vice versa).

An excellent way to start thinking about this is by looking at how we spend our days at work or school — these are places where we can quickly lose track of time because we’re busy doing something other than focusing on how fast it’s moving forward.

It’s important because it helps us stay focused on our daily goals and because those moments add up over weeks until suddenly, months have passed without realizing how fast they’ve flown by!

Taking care of yourself and living the life you want takes practice throughout the year, not just at New Year’s

A lot of things can be said about the New Year, but we can agree that it’s a great time to reflect.

You’re taking stock of your life and deciding what you want to do differently in the new year. That’s a good thing!

But here’s the thing: taking care of yourself and living the life you want takes practice throughout the year, not just at New Year’s. It means being honest about where you’re mentally and physically. 

It means thinking critically about what’s working for you and what isn’t so that when change becomes necessary (and it will), you know exactly where to start focusing your attention first.

You may decide that this will be a year spent focusing more on family or friends than anything else. However, prioritizing those closest to us should never be any shame!

Suppose 2022 was primarily spent alone because work took up all our time and energy. In that case, 2023 should be dedicated solely toward bettering ourselves through travel or self-improvement initiatives like language classes or learning an instrument, whatever brings us joy!

Don’t let the new year take you out before it even starts

This is a process, and it takes time. So if you’re having trouble sticking to resolutions or breaking bad habits, don’t get frustrated with yourself!

The most important part is to keep trying and not give up on your goals. 

We know this can be hard, but plenty of resources are available to help you get started on the right foot (and keep going). So if you were looking for a fresh start in 2023, take some time now to consider what steps will help you reach your goals. Happy New Year!