New Year, New You

Happy New Year everyone! This is my first post of 2016, so I wanted to share with you some ways to start off the new year on the right foot! For me, the new year and my birthday fall within the same month, so I always love January for the fact that with a new year, I am also another year older. I know technically we are already a few days in, but it always takes me a few days after the holiday time to get back in the swing of things! I spent most of this weekend relaxing, setting intentions for the year, and getting really organized!

Here are some ways I think will be great to step into the year on a fresh note, all of which you will see me implementing in my life in the year to come!

– Start each day with gratitude. This is a big one for me. For most of 2015, I would wake up in a frenzy, rushing to get ready for work, and ultimately blaming the occurrences in my day on the fact that I didn’t wake up more gracefully. So, to avoid that happening this year, I am setting my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier, and spending at least ten minutes each morning meditating. Clearing my day for this moment of sitting in peace and quiet, and focusing on my intentions for the day allows for my head to clear, and it brings about a sense of calmness to the rest of my day. New to meditating like me? I really love the App Headspace, where you are given guided meditations to help you ease into it!

– Clean out your closest. I spent the majority of my weekend purging through my room and getting rid of clothes and items I no longer wear or use anymore. Not only is this a great way to make room for all the “new” that is about to come into your life this year, but it is also a way to detoxify your life, and really focus on what you need, not want.

– Donate. With cleaning out your closest comes the fact that you will probably be throwing out a decent amount of clothes. Instead of just adding them to your trash, make an effort to drop them off at a local Salvation Army or donation center. Not only will you be making a lot of people happy, but you will feel so much better knowing they are going to a good place!

– Learn to say no, and know that it is okay. Being a generous people-pleaser, I have fallen into habits of saying “yes” to everything, to the point where I have taken on too much and run myself dry, which led to me having panic attacks because my mind and body were on overload. Maybe it’s the fear that I will hurt or make someone mad, but from my past circumstances where I said yes to everything, I have learned that taking time to decided on the best “yes” is the right way to go about my life. I recently read a book called “The Best Yes” by Lysa TerKeurst, and it literally has changed my way of thinking, and I recommend it to any one of you who happen to fall into the trap of saying “yes” when all you want to say is “no.”

– Create a schedule, and stick to it. With working a full-time job, having a blog, and trying to start my own business along with having a boyfriend and a life, it has been hard for me to juggle everything. In tune to making the “best yes,” I have learned to create a schedule that works for me to fit in all that I need to. For example, since I work all day, I try and utilize my time on the weekends and after work to fit in working out, working on my blog, and of course!

I hope this all leaves you with a sense of direction for the new year! Have a great Tuesday, loves!

Xo,

Odette