To greet a new year properly, you need to take a minute to look back at 2023: What went right? What went wrong? What was your role in either?
2023 was a hard year for a lot of people. Stimulus money dried up. Grocery prices remained high even if inflation dropped a little. Politicians started vying for a spot in the 2024 election. We saw terrorism, war, and activism defending terrorism that is still stunning. These are all difficult things. Even if you’re not in politics or policy, if you’re reading this, you likely enjoy news or keeping up with current events. Bad, disappointing, and especially heinous world events can be discouraging. It’s important to reflect and process.
On the flip side, maybe this year went better than you expected. Take some time to reflect on why that might be and what you could do this year to continue that. Whether it was professional or personal, take stock of the good things too and what steps you took to lead you to positive outcomes in relationships, work, health, and more.
2 — Look ahead
For the last decade, every time a new year rolls around, there’s a flurry of ideas on this: Make New Year’s resolutions! Don’t make them! Either might work. It’s easy to see why people no longer make resolutions, because so often, folks don’t keep them. In fact, only 9% of Americans who make resolutions keep them and almost half of the people who make resolutions have quit them by the end of January.
However, it’s also understandable why people might choose to make resolutions, especially if they didn’t have the year they wanted: It’s healthy and normal to want to make improvements in life. Goals are good; resolutions are often just goals revamped.
Experts say the key to making these goals a reality is to take tiny steps towards bigger goals. In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear says making good habits is the result of behavioral change which lies in a framework of four laws. “If you have ever wondered, ‘Why don’t I do what I say I’m going to do? Why don’t I lose the weight or stop smoking or save for retirement or start that side business? Why do I say something is important but never seem to make time for it?’ The answers to those questions can be found somewhere in these four laws.” The book is worth a read if this idea sounds fulfilling to you.
So whether you do or don’t make an actual list of resolutions, it’s still important to look ahead at what this next year holds. What events are happening? What personal goals do you plan to fulfill and how? 2024 is obviously an election year: Do you plan on participating and if so, how? How much time do you plan on dedicating to social media — and does it need to be less?
3 — Be grateful
On the flip side of resolutions, it might be tempting to go into the New Year full steam ahead without being thankful for 2023 and determining beforehand to be grateful for 2024. Americans feel busier than ever before, but whether or not that’s true – and some argue it’s not — busyness can sometimes be a proxy for cultivating a quality life. One of the ways to do that is to be more thankful.
It might be hard when money is tight, when it feels like America is polarized politically, or you’re having health or relationship issues, but it’s in times like these that it really matters. Whether you use a gratitude journal or type a quick list on your phone, studies show that being more intentionally grateful has multiple benefits, including better health, happiness, and wisdom. It can also foster more personal responsibility and a sense of community — something really lacking today.
4 — Be more intentional
If I’ve learned anything as I’ve gotten older, it is that time feels like it moves faster than it did in youth. To that end, I’d encourage everyone, young and old, to be as intentional with their time, money, and other resources, as is humanly possible in order to make the most of your life.
Kids these days spend more time on their smartphones than ever before, to the detriment of their health. Adults do too. The average person spends two and a half hours a day on social media and 36% more time than that watching TV. There’s nothing wrong with relaxing or being entertained, but is that really the best use of your one, precious life?
As a parent, I’ve watched time slip through my hands, as my teenagers get busier and retreat more to their rooms, friends, and activities. I’m grateful for every day with them — and we’re never guaranteed more time. Spend time with people you really love and who love you back. Work hard to provide for your family but don’t dedicate yourself solely to your profession. There’s more to life than work. Finally, reignite your faith this year, as that is often the glue that holds a person together when times get difficult, and those times could be coming.
It’s a gift to walk into the New Year. Let’s not lose sight of what was and what could be.
