“If you think someone or something other than yourself is responsible for your happiness or success, I’d guess you’re not that happy or successful.” – Rob Liano
We lost much of 2020 due to the fear and pandemonium of the virus. In 2021 we were extremely cautious for fear of repeating 2020. We spent 2022 trying to heal, emotionally and financially, from the trauma of the previous two years. And NOW…it’s 2023. And it is YOUR year.
There are endless suggestions online to how to make this your year–everything from starting off with a detox, to making friends, to getting rid of friends, to demanding a promotion or raise, to mastering your finances; there is wisdom in all of these suggestions! Today, however, I want to focus on actions you can repeatedly utilize to recenter and enable you to make 2023 YOUR year. The following six points are some of the things I am going to do. Will you join me?
- Focus on yourself. What I mean here is focusing on what YOU can do…not anybody else. What lies within your power. You cannot change your spouse, your child(ren), your friends, your neighbors–ANYONE but yourself. So focus on you. Focus on what you can do, where you can improve, where you can change, how you can respond, how you can act, etc. The key to making this your year is to be the one to make it so.
- Exercise. Exercising is one of the few actions you can engage in that will better you in several ways simultaneously. Moving your body is good for your overall health, for your mental health, your creativity, your sleep habits, your sex life, and so much more. If you want your life to improve in any way, exercise. Move your body! You will find that it betters you in every way.
- Get organized. It is common to bounce into the New Year, full of excitement and goals and energy, only to burn out after a few weeks or months. That is ultimately due to lack of organization. So I recommend you clean house–literally. Get your living/working/whatever space up to where you want it to be. Tackle those organization projects. You may not realize how much brain power/energy it is taking up focusing (consciously or subconsciously) on them. If you can make where you live or where you work more of a peaceful place, you will be able to accomplish more in those spaces. Once your physical space is organized, you will be able to better focus your mind and organize your goals, your thoughts, your feelings, dreams, and emotions.
- Be positive. You could experience heartbreak, loss, hardship, challenges in 2023. oes that mean that 2023 as a whole has to be the worst year ever? No. And what will determine that is your attitude. If you are positive, if you see these difficulties as opportunities to learn and grow, you are more than halfway there to making 2023 your year. Because everything you go through–good or bad–has the potential to make you the best version of yourself.
- Learn from your mistakes. This suggestion has a backward- as well as a forward-thinking angle to it. First, think about 2022 and the mistakes you made in the last 12 months. Identify those mistakes and where you could have acted/responded differently. That is the first part. The second part is to learn from those mistakes and act accordingly next year. The fact of the matter is that you are bound to mess up again and again (#HumanNature). The key is to learn from those mistakes and get just 1% better each day. Rather than getting worked up over things you do wrong, ask yourself how you can avoid similar mistakes in the future, and make a game plan to do just that.
- Choose a word or a phrase for your 2023 vision. After you have reviewed 2022, you may have some ideas where you want to direct your focus and energy for this upcoming year. Choose one word or a phrase that encapsulates this focus. Then, plaster it on your mirror, fridge, journal, planner, notepad, calendar, wallpaper, wherever you will see it often. Say this word or phrase in your mind as you are enduring difficult tasks or are in the trenches of hard work. Repeat it aloud to motivate yourself to keep moving towards your goals.
2023 is yours for the taking. I urge you to make 2023 your year by focusing on yourself, exercising, getting organized, practicing positivity, learning from your mistakes, and choosing a word or phrase to propel you over the next 12 months. These simple actions, with sustained effort, will enable you to make this your absolute best year yet. Go get it!
Happy New Year!
Melissa Cluff is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in North Texas, providing face-to-face and telehealth therapy options to clients in Texas.
References:
- Addicted 2 Success: 10 Ways To Make This Year Your Best Year Ever
- Cluff Counseling: Exercise….It’s Not Just Good for the Body!
- Cluff Counseling: KEEPING THE HOLIDAY CHEER ALL YEAR LONG
- Cluff Counseling: MAKING 2018 YOUR YEAR: RESOLUTIONS
- Cluff Counseling: NEW YEAR, CHANGED YOU
- Real Buzz: 10 Ways To Make This Your Best Year Yet
- Wiki How: How to Make This the Best Year of Your Life
