EASING INTO THE NEW YEAR
This was the first year I entered the New Year with a calm energy. Typically, I have a lot of anxiety around new years which tends to also resurface around my birthday. Have I done enough? Was it a successful year? What’s next? I’m perhaps my own worst critic, but this year something felt different. I felt calm, confident in my own convictions and capabilities. I felt, for the first time in a long time, I’m right where I should be.
Each year, I write out my goals and aspirations for the new year while also reflecting on my accomplishments from the year before. It helps keep things in perspective while also reminding me to celebrate my own wins. I also like to choose a word to represent the new year. For 2024, I have chosen two words; calm and enjoyment. There’s something to be said around hard work and chaotically hustling things into motion. I would like to find a way to still welcome and deserve abundance with a calm energy for a change.
PRIORITISING SELF-CARE
Truer words have never been spoken. I’ve been so busy “building” and dare I say, surviving these past 4 years that self-care had inadvertently slipped into “non-essentials”. It can feel difficult to prioritise and justify self-care when there is a limited budget and overall capacity, but perhaps, those are the times we need to emphasise it the most. I write this amidst two ongoing home renovations…do as I say, not as I do. When I reached burnout at the end of last year, I knew that I couldn’t keep up this tempo for much longer so I pressed on the brakes and re-prioritised my needs.
Coincidentally, I managed to make time for what fills my cup. And what does fill my cup these days? Sticking to my skin-care routine. I recently indulged in a few new products from La Mer I’m really enjoying. Focusing on movement, again. I have always been loyal to MWH and also plan on getting back to my pilates studio this month. Walks after dinner are just the unwind I need before going to bed; I swear by the effects of fresh air for a good night’s sleep. I’ve also been going to my holistic practitioner weekly for acupuncture, cupping and anything else that will help rebalance my nervous system and gut. I started this a few months back and it has made a significant shift in how I feel these days. Having a trip on the horizon is also a great mood booster and something to look forward to.
I promised myself to return to the joy of writing, something that has been missing for me for quite some time now. Writing without an agenda; writing to share the things I truly love. Remembering why I started this blog and returning to that core. In tangible form, hoping to write a new post a week, here!
GET ORGANISED
I don’t know about you, but I feel like I give a lot of energy to thinking about food, planning, coming up with what to cook and frankly, it’s such an energy leak. I’m a planner, through and through but this is one aspect of my life that I can’t seem to get under wraps. A return to meal prepping and having a menu, even if fluid, to refer to in my moments of hungry desperation, is critical in juggling all the balls I currently have up in the air. I want healthy and satiating food at my fingertips so that I can refuel easily throughout the day.
I also plan to do a long overdue closet clean out and ultimately sale. My way of dressing has significantly changed from my corporate days. One of my biggest goals for this year however is to finally hire help. It took me a while to admit that I needed help but now that I have finally accepted this, I’ve also come to understand that I need to delegate in order to continue to grow and up-level.
LEARNING TO ENJOY
I made an exception and chose 2 words for 2024, one of which is enjoyment. When you’re fixated on a goal, you oftentimes forget to enjoy the journey in getting there. I want to be more present in the day-to-day, find ways to enjoy in the small details of everyday life and of course, I want to celebrate my wins and enjoy the fruits of my labour.
CREATING A HOME
This is a WIP for all of 2024. I’m such a home body and my surroundings play a significant role in how I feel and my overall energy. Now that the wedding is out of the way, I can return to focusing on furnishing our home slowly and thoughtfully with collected pieces. Our dining table arrives early February and Phase I of our backyard is nearly complete. The to-do list is long but learning not to rush the process and hunt for special pieces is what I enjoy most!
I’m really loving these monthly posts. They feel like a much-needed self check-in; a time to reflect. How are you feeling in the new year? Have you hit the ground running or are you easing into January nice and slow?
LOOKING FOR OTHER PERSONAL JOURNALS? HERE ARE A FEW OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES:
- Taking Risks and Buying International Property
- My First Three Months in Greece
- A Reflection on my First Six Months in Greece
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