2022-12-29
New year – a real and meaningful fresh start?
Dela:
Latest updated: 14 July 2023
When a year comes to an end and a new one begins, it's natural to want to look back and evaluate - and look forward to what's to come. If you do it the right way and give yourself the right conditions, the end of the year can be the start of the new beginning you hope for. But for it to succeed, it requires that you're ready for an honest and concrete evaluation and self-reflection, which leads to a realistic action plan.
Seeing the end of the year as a new beginning can sometimes feel like a cliché. At the same time, it's natural and inevitable that the change in the calendar makes you reflect on what has been and what is to come. It's essentially something very positive - you need more evaluation and reflection in your life, not less.
But what is required for the evaluation and reflection to yield concrete results? Can the end of the year really be a new beginning - for real, beyond all half-hearted New Year's resolutions?
The answer is yes. But it depends on you taking yourself and your new beginning seriously. Change and renewal are among the most difficult things, and therefore require your full focus and commitment.
Honest and constructive self-reflection
Every personal change journey must begin with a thorough evaluation and self-reflection. Think through the year that has been, and try to get as concrete memories as possible. What has happened during the year? What has been good and what has been bad?
It's very important that you also think about what has been positive, even if it feels like you've had a tough year. Be proud of and reward yourself for it.
When you then reflect on the negative sides of the past year, you should be as solution-oriented as possible. A first exercise to handle these can be to let go, if possible.
You can decide that certain negative thoughts, or events that you dwell on, will not follow you into the new year: "I have thought this negative thought long enough. Now it's enough." In essence, it often comes down to forgiving yourself and others. No one is perfect. Let it go now!
Then, of course, there are negative sides that you can't just "let go" of, but that require a change journey. That's the next step.
It's important to note that change and renewal doesn't have to be about something negative you want to stop or get rid of. Change can just as well be about adding something positive to your life that hasn't been there before. Or making something that is good even better.
Determination and clear boundaries
Regardless, a high degree of determination is required for you to succeed. Determination involves, among other things, delimiting oneself to a clear, concrete, and realistic goal. You can start from an abstract goal, but then you must concretize it as much as possible.
You can for example choose a "theme" for your new year, or a value word that you want to shape your life more - for example, "creativity", "health" or "kindness". But then you have to boil it down to concrete actions, activities, and subgoals. Another way to approach the change journey can be to choose a single goal and focus everything on it. It doesn't have to be grand - remember that a small but clear change in life can give enormous ripples and have great significance for your entire life. Regardless of how you choose to do it, it is important that you divide your goal into smaller subgoals, so that you can measure your progress every day, week, and month. Make a realistic action plan so that you know exactly what you need to do, step by step, every day. It is also important that the goal and subgoals are time-bound.
Remember that you don't need to work with the whole year of 2023 as a timeframe if it feels too big and overwhelming. You can settle for setting a goal that is the right size for the next 3-4 months and then breaking it down into smaller goals. Then, make a new self-reflection in the spring, hopefully full of energy after achieving your first big goal of the year, and ready to take on the next. Lastly, remember that there is a lot of help available and many resources to use if you want to succeed in your change journey. Take your personal development seriously and seek the help you need to achieve your goals and reach your full potential.