Every year I start out with a list of hefty goals and things to do in the new year. Somehow as the year progresses I forget about those goals or I keep procrastinating and nothing gets done. This year I decided to do things a little differently. This guide on how to organize your life for the new year is meant to simplify the process of organizing everyday life and actually achieving the goals we aim for.
As I started out making a plan for what I wanted in the new year I decided to create goals that I could measure and track. I didn’t want to say something like ‘lose weight’. Instead I wanted a goal like ‘work out 3 days a week for 21 days’. This is something I could journal, track my performance and create action plans as the year goes by.
This guide on how to organize your life for the new year is based on the goal style I have mentioned above. These are all actionable items or things to do and they are trackable. You can either say you achieved them or you didn’t which will provide a way to self correct.
How To Organize Your Life for the New Year
Table of Contents
Start Meal Planning: It saves time and money
Meal planning is not only a time saver it saves money as well. I started meal planning by accident when I was doing Keto. It got tiring to always have to think about what to eat every night and consequently every lunch. That’s when I decided to plan and prep my meals over the weekend.
Over the weekend I would shop only for the food I would need for the week. This would save me money because I only buy what I need for the week so no wastage. When meal prepping the idea is to cook for 3 to 4 days in the week which helps avoid having to make big meals during week nights when you are tired. Try it over the new year and see how it simplifies your life.
Pick a Plan That Works for You: To Succeed
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when deciding on weight goals or body goals is going in without a plan. Like they say failing to plan is planning to fail. Regardless of which diet or workout plan you want to adopt you need a plan. It’s crucial to pick a plan that works for you to avoid failing and quitting.
Research on all the potential plans that you think you want to try. List the pros and cons and the things you like and dislike about each plan. Ask people who have tried the different plans for their thoughts. Pick a plan and don’t quit unless it’s not healthy for you to continue. I picked Keto in the beginning of the year and it worked great for me. I paired it up with a few workouts that I like and customized it to for my lifestyle. Before going all in make sure you pick a plan that works for YOU.
Create a Budget
Budgets are important for ensuring that we stay on top of our finances. They basically tell us where our money goes and what our spending habits are. I always say show me where you spend your money and I’ll tell you what your priorities are. As more families adopt a frugal lifestyle budgets are becoming a key factor in overall financial success and wellbeing.
A budget does not have to be complex to work. It can be a simple spreadsheet where you list out your income and expenses. It can even be a journal where you manually calculate and track what you spend over the week or month. The point is to have a budget and actually use it to stay ahead of the bills.
HOW TO CREATE A BUDGET THAT ACTUALLY WORKS!
Start Prioritizing Yourself
Make the new year the year that you start to put yourself first. Often we get into the habit of treating other people better than we treat ourselves. We end up spreading ourselves way too thin and by the time we realize we are over extended we are probably sick on the couch.
This year should be different. It may involve saying no to requests and invitations. It could also mean asking for a raise if you are overworked at your job or asking for help. Stop feeling guilty when you treat yourself to something that you deserve. It’s time to start caring for yourself and setting time just for you to decompress and realign. Call it ‘me time’ if you need to and stick to it.
HOW TO ASK FOR A RAISE THAT YOU DESERVE
Declutter: Start Small
Whoa every time I used to see this word I would get visions of working tirelessly throughout the house and getting no where. Decluttering doesn’t have to be a one time get it all type of task. Start small and work your way through the house. Pick a room and work on it instead of aiming for the whole house.
I started working on my closet and then moved to the pantry and then the living room and so forth. The more I did it the better I got at it. It didn’t take a month or two though. I did it in stages throughout the year and I would pick a room and work through it over a long weekend. Decluttering also means not buying things you don’t need so think of that as you start the process.
Start Using a Bullet Journal
I am all about bullet journals because they are easy to use and personalize. You can use bullet journals for just about anything and if you decide to start a work out plan, diet, budget or habit tracker a journal would be a great place to track all these things in one place.
Bullet journals have been so handy for me throughout the year and you can use these example I outlined here. For students you can track assignments, grades, projects and exams all in one place. I highly recommend using them and hopefully you can try one and see how useful they can be. You can get one here.
HOW TO USE BULLET JOURNALS FOR EVERYTHING
Plan to Checkoff Your Bucket-list
Do you have something that you have wanted to do for a long time and have been pushing it off? This is the year to finally get to doing it! What’s holding you off and why haven’t you been able to get to it? As of right now you have about 12 months to plan and check off that bucket list item.
I usually list out places I want to go for example and then I start working out the kinks. The process starts with a decision to do it and dedication to accomplishing whatever that may be. Start by making a list of what you really want and then work on the logistics of achieving it.
Make a List
Lists are important y’all. I make a list of everything I want and check it off once I have done it. If you are a blogger like me you probably have lists of posts, promotions and things you need to do for the blog. These lists help me keep track of things that need to be done and the deadlines that need to be met.
For my day job I have a list of daily, weekly and monthly things that need to be done. Not only does it help me not to forget but it also keeps me in check by alerting me of things that are due. Start making lists if you don’t already to keep your life organized for the new year.
Pick a Habit You Need to Break
Do you have a habit that you need to break? This would be a great time to start working on it or them. It could be a spending habit, eating habit or any habit that you can think of. Again list it out and start working on breaking it. You don’t have to break all habits at once and it’s ok to start on one at a time. Habit breaking is critical on how to organize your life in the new year because they could be life changing.
Hopefully these steps are helpful on how to organize your life for the new year and if you have more suggestions leave me a comment.
