Jolly festivities, wrapping presents, kissing under the mistletoe and all that movie magic has yet again passed and we have to prep for a new start.
A new beginning, huh?
Although I don’t tend to be the person who starts a whole new life every year and fails to live up to the set goals nearly the second week of January, I love to do some of the things that let me reflect and let go of the past year and welcome the new one approaching.
And I welcome you to do the same or at least get inspired and tailor these activities according to your own needs, wishes and possibilities. Let’s not forget we are all so very different. ☺
As I am a true believer that what we see on the outside is yet another reflection of our inner world, I enjoy using it in my own favour, so just after Christmas has passed, I go about my annual routines.
Starting with cleaning up your home is something I love doing, it gives an immediate feeling of freshness and having my life together.
Immersing myself in cleaning out the closets, washing the floors with a wet broom, tidying the kitchen cabinets, defrosting the freezer, wiping all the dusty surfaces and corners, ironing, changing the bedsheets, donating or throwing out everything that no longer serves us and taking care of everything that still does.
It’s a huge cleanout, not the kind I perform in the springtime. I go all in on this just before the New Year’s and it feels SO good afterwards.
On this note, I also clean my workspace and technologies. Going through my phone and computer, deleting whatever has to go and decluttering the big files to an external memory of whatever kind, creating folders and having some kind of system.
Some find this funny, but in a world almost ruled by technology, I believe it’s absolutely logical that if we spend so much time in front of our screens, we also make this space tidy, clean and easy to navigate.
Another thing I LOVE dedicating time to before the year turns is reflection. In my case, written reflection in my notebook. It’s something I also mentioned in my previous blog before making the chocolate bark recipe. In case you haven’t tried this SUPER DELICIOUS stuff yet, here is the link:
https://rumicosmetiques.co.uk/blogs/news/merry-christmas-easy-bark-recipe
https://rumicosmetiques.com/blogs/articles/merry-christmas-easy-bark-recipe
Sweets always throw me off track, but back to the reflection part, haha! If you have never done so or even if you are a regular guest at the journalling desk, try answering these questions this time (inspired from a podcased I listened to yesterday):
- What made you feel most happy this year?
- What made you unhappy these past 12 months?
- What’s the biggest lesson you learned this year?
- What do you wish you would have done more of this year?
- What’s something you want to do less of next year?
- What was your biggest success this year?
- What was a moment you failed this year?
- What is something you want to learn next year?
- What is your favourite way to refuel?
On this note, in the New Year of 2022 I hope you find more time for what makes you happy and give less of your energy to what drains you, focusing more on what really matters. I hope you heal from what hurt you and celebrate your every win, big or small.
I hope you compare yourself less with others and more with who you were yesterday. I hope you find peace with what angers, triggers or annoys you and create joy instead. I hope you rewrite the narrative for your own paths that do not lead you to joy, love and success, whatever it means to YOU.
I hope you focus on yourself, learn not only to give, but also learn to receive. I hope you grow and your soul flourishes.
All the love,
