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With the new year comes the desire for a clean slate, a fresh start. Whether it's diet, exercise, money, or relationships, people often have a need to feel like they have a new chance to do right when the new year rolls around. If you are looking for ways to give yourself that do-over we remember from childhood games, maybe some of these ideas will give you the inspiration you are looking for.
Health:
Go through your cupboards and refrigerator and throw away the high-sugar, high-fat foods that were fine for the holidays but aren't helping you now when it comes to taking care of yourself and your health. Next, plan a trip to the best grocer in town and stock up on fruits, vegetables and snacks that appeal to all of your senses. Splurge a little! You are worth it.
Finances:
If you've never made a budget for yourself, take some time to make one. It doesn't have to be perfect or incredibly detailed; list out your must-pay bills as well as the things you like to spend money on and then go from there, tweaking things so that the money budgeted doesn't exceed the money you bring home each month. The peace of mind that comes from having control over your money can be extremely liberating.
If you already have a budget, spend 15 minutes or so going over it,
adjusting categories as needed and making sure that it reflects your
priorities as you head in to the new year.
Organization:
This
is a great time to go through closets and drawers and clear out that
which no longer makes you happy. Get rid of the clothes that don't
flatter you (wrong style, wrong size); pare down collections you have
(can you get by with five pair of black shoes instead of ten?); sort
through the junk drawer in the kitchen and toss things you haven't used
or even touched all year.
Try using a new planner. Sometimes
it's not that we're disorganized, it's that we haven't found the right
system that meets our needs and works with our quirks and personality
traits. If you like to make lists and check off little boxes, then
find a system that puts that into play. On the other hand, if you like
to think more long-range or look at the big picture, find a planning
system that isn't trying to make you focus on the day to day details.
Relationships:
Are
you estranged from someone? Is there a friendship you've let wane?
Perhaps this is the year to reach out and reconnect with someone. It
could be as simple as an email to say "I'm thinking of you" to a
heartfelt letter or an invitation to dinner or a movie. Life is short;
if you're missing someone, there's no time like the present to
re-establish that connection.
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