23 Changes You Can Make to Kick Off 2023
Are you leaving 2022 feeling beaten down and wondering what changes you need to make to kick off 2023?
If you are like so many of us, you want a clean slate for the new year.
These 23 simple changes will help reduce stress, increase your self-esteem, and improve your life significantly in the year ahead.
#1 Find a mentor
There are many benefits to finding a mentor that can help you make 2021 the best year ever.
A mentor can help you grow, give you much-needed advice, and increase your professional network.
If this is the year you change careers and chase your dreams, a mentor’s help can be an invaluable source of information.
#2 Declutter your environment
When I was a little kid, after a long day of cleaning, my grandma would say, “Don’t you feel better now?”
I would always respond with, “No.”
I never wanted to spend hours doing chores.
However, now that I am an adult, when we clean on the weekends, I ask my family, “Don’t you guys feel so much better now!”
The children stare at me and go, “No.”
Sigh…
Cleaning and decluttering your environment reduces stress and anxiety, It also makes working on your other goals easier because everything is where it belongs and easy to find.
So clean off your desk.
Go through your closet and give away clothes you haven’t worn in six months or more.
When you donate things, you are also improving the life of someone else, which also makes you feel good!
It is a win-win and a great way to succeed in the new year.
#3 Tell people you love them
We should always tell the people we love how special they are to us because life is short, and you don’t know if you will have another opportunity to do so.
When we tell people how special they are to us, it has the power to improve their day too!
If 2022 taught me anything, it is that our relationships with our loved ones are really important in life.
#4 Get a houseplant
A houseplant might not seem like a life-altering purchase, but it can affect your life this year.
House plants are good for physical health because they take our carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen.
They also have been proven to increase concentration and productivity.
After 2022, we could all use less stress, and houseplants also reduce stress!
#5 Re-evaluate your finances for changes to wealth
This is a great time to cancel unwanted subscriptions.
Automating your bills will also save time and ensure you pay for things on time.
The beginning of the year is also a great time to think about investing, retirement funds, and savings.
For many people, this area has been hit hard during 2022, but whatever you can do to improve your financial situation (including cutting up some credit cards) will benefit you in the future.
Nothing says clean slate like paying off some debt if you are able.
#6 Make time for your friends
Having good friends is yet another health benefit.
Having friends helps us feel like we belong and have a purpose.
Your friends can help reduce your stress level and lower your blood pressure.
However, they can also increase your happiness, self-confidence, and self-worth.
Most people also have fun when they get together with a group of friends, and after the year we have had, we can use a little more fun!
#7 Get a better night’s sleep for some physical changes
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most refreshing things.
That feeling of waking up after giving your body a chance to recoup is a nightly ritual that gives us a daily clean slate.
You can take some simple steps to ensure you get the best rest.
Like replacing your pillow, keeping your sheets clean, and making your bed daily.
Avoiding caffeine late at night and certain foods, like tomatoes, will also help you sleep better.
#8 Watch less TV
Watching less TV has more benefits than you might think.
Most sitting happens while people watch TV, so if you are watching less TV, you are sitting less.
Sitting less means you are engaging in some kind of activity that is good for your health.
Also, if you are not binge-watching hours of television, you will have more free time to follow other pursuits.
You are also more likely to form your own opinions without bias.
#9 Read more books (especially those regarding change)
Reading is a significant source of entertainment, education, and information.
Reading increases your vocabulary and makes it easier to articulate your point.
When you read a book, you increase your cognitive engagement.
Reading also makes us more empathetic, socially perceptive, and emotionally intelligent.
If 2022 revealed anything, it is the fact that we can use more of those three things as we face 2023.
#10 Check your vitals
Do you know how high your blood pressure is?
How fast is your heart beating?
You can check these vitals at most local stores or pharmacies.
These are good things to be aware of regarding your health.
Another number to be aware of is your weight, which can lead to other health problems.
You can help your health get a clean slate by meditating, relaxing, being active, and making better food choices.
#11 Audit the last year for things that need to change
To get where you want to know, understand where you have been.
What were your goals for 2022, and did you achieve them?
If you didn’t quite reach them, what steps did you take that were successful?
Where were your opportunities to do better?
Answering questions like this will help you create a plan for the new year.
#12 Set SMART goals for lasting changes
One method of setting goals is to ensure that they are SMART.
This means they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely.
When your goals are structured this way, attaining them is much easier.
For example, if I set my goal to write a book in 2022, with none of these SMART techniques, it will be much more difficult to achieve.
However, if I set a goal to write a book by the end of the year but break it down like this:
- S- write a 52-chapter fiction novel by 12/31/23
- M- complete one chapter every week
- A- breaking it down into small steps makes the process much less daunting
- R- one chapter a week is a realistic goal that applies to the process
- T- there are two-time lines here; a weekly checkpoint and an end goal
Learning to set your goals successfully is important if you want to win in 2023!
#13 Improve your follow-through
Having goals and dreams is an essential part of what makes us human.
If you didn’t set any in 2022, then set some now for 2023.
Most people don’t reach their goals and dreams because of the work required to follow through.
If you fell short of your goals, ask yourself why, and be honest.
Did you keep your word to others and yourself?
How can you make sure that you follow through this year?
#14 Figure out what you want from life (and then make the changes needed)
My therapist tells me all the time that when everything seems to go wrong, it is the universe’s way of telling you that you are on the wrong path.
I had let life bottleneck me into a path I didn’t want to take.
When I was young, I wanted to be a journalist.
I was enrolled in college, ready to earn a mass communications degree.
I ended up in management for 20 years, even getting a Master’s Degree in Management and Leadership.
Search your soul for what gives you a spark to live your life.
If you are not doing what you should be, make 2023 the year you start over!
#15 Engage in more self-care
There are many ways to engage in self-care, and we can all use a little more of it.
Self-care is not selfish and is an effective way to clean the slate for 2023.
Self-care helps make sure that people don’t get burnt out.
The average person deals with a lot of stress, which is not good for our health.
We cannot be good parents, employees, or people if we are sick or dead.
So, take better care of yourself this year!
#16 Create a gratitude journal for meaningful changes
A gratitude journal is a great first step toward self-care.
Gratitude journals help increase your positivity, self-esteem, and self-worth.
It also helps reduce your stress level and anxiety.
Reminding yourself of all the reasons you have to be grateful will help clear away the last year’s worries and set you up for a happy 2023.
#17 Prioritize new experiences
Focus less on accumulating more stuff this year and instead dedicate time and resources to experiencing new things!
It can be anything!
Take a dance class with your partner, try zip lining, ski, or travel somewhere you haven’t been.
It will make life feel so much fuller and create lasting memories with those you love.
#18 Volunteer with an organization that aligns with your values
If you want to feel more inspired this year, volunteering is one way to go about that.
Doing good things for others also makes us feel good.
Volunteer Match is a great place to start because they work to connect you with causes that inspire you.
#19 Increase your awareness
Be aware this year!
Learn more about the constitution and governing.
Be aware of what is happening within your community, friends, and tribe.
Learn more about your skill set to hone in on a new path.
Meditation, yoga, and journaling will help you be more aware of your sense of self.
#20 Worry less about someone else’s opinion
This is hard to learn, but it is vital to clean the slate.
How much of that slate you have been carrying around is filled with the opinions of others?
How someone else views you as a person or questions, your choices will only affect you if you let it.
#21 Write a list of things not to do
Instead of a “to-do list,” work on a not-to-do list!
These could be habits you want to break, relationship behaviors you want to stop, or work ethic issues.
Improving how we do things will be a healthy way to usher in the new year.
#22 Commit to doing one thing every day
Come up with something you will do every day.
This could mean going to the gym, walking, reading, writing, or whatever gets you closer to your goals.
Challenge yourself to never miss a day, regardless of what is happening.
The changes that occur from this one simple thing will amaze you!
#23 Pay attention to who you spend time with
Jim Rohn said, “You are an average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Are the people you surround yourself with focused on similar things?
Do they offer support and encouragement?
Or are they dragging you down?
Make some changes to your tribe and watch your life change!
Make 2023 the best year ever with these changes!
Chase your dreams, improve your quality of life, and live a life of abundance and joy this year!
Which of these 23 changes are you going to work on today?
Let us know in the comment section below.
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