How to embrace the new year without feeling overwhelmed
Well, we’ve arrived. It’s officially January 1, 2024.
We made it!
Are you a fan of this time of year? Maybe you love resolutions and have a word of the year picked out. You’re full of hope, energy, and motivation.
Or maybe the first of the year is challenging for you. You feel like you “should” be organizing, planning, and setting lofty goals but you’re lacking the clarity and motivation to do much of anything. You might be feeling overwhelmed and stuck.
While we’re still catching our breath and recovering from the holidays, marketing messages are flying at us fast and furious.
“Make this your best year EVER!”
“New year, new you!”
Ads for a variety of different meal plans, gym memberships, and subscription services fill up our inboxes and social media feeds.
We feel ourselves constricting. Minds spinning, insecurities overwhelming us… we start to panic and feel like we need to set BIG goals and achieve SO MUCH this year.
Look, I am all for hope, optimism, energy, and fresh starts. So if you are in full-blown go-get-em mode, don't let me stop you! Take that enthusiasm and run with it! I’ll be right by you in spirit, cheering you on.
But if the start of the new year is feeling more overwhelming than exciting; more "meh" than "yes!", I'd like to encourage you to pause and consider this invitation…
What if we treated January as a transition month?
A month when we allow ourselves to emerge from the holiday season focusing on the slow and steady. A month when we give ourselves permission to reflect, dream, and connect. A month when we continue settling into the current season with intention, knowing this will serve as our foundation for the coming months.
What if embracing the new year in this way will allow us to feel less overwhelmed?
What if it ends up being a more sustainable way for us to approach 2024?
I have a list of 10 questions that I am asking myself this month. I am not rushing the process but instead, I am taking time to reflect, dream, and connect with my answers. I’m offering them here in case you’d like to do the same. Ask yourself a question while sipping your morning coffee. Consider a question while you’re taking a walk or running an errand. Take your time. Slow and steady.
Questions for Reflection, Dreaming & Connection:
What is one highlight from 2023?
What was one of the most challenging things about 2023?
What is one habit that served you well in 2023 that you would like to take with you into 2024?
What is one habit that did not serve you well that you would like to leave behind?
What is one thing from 2023 that you are proud of?
Where in your life do you need more support?
Is there anything currently causing you anxiety?
What is one thing that you are yearning for?
Where in your life do you feel most connected?
What is one of your biggest, wildest dreams?
Despite what the messages we’re surrounded with are telling us, bigger is not always better. Slow and steady often help us create a solid foundation that sets us up for success. And we are the ones who get to determine what success looks like in our lives.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. But if marketing messages and lofty goals have you wanting to pull the covers over your head, I invite you to think of January as your transition month. It does have the power to help us feel more supported and less overwhelmed. This is what I’ll be doing and I’d love for you to join me.
If you’re eager to embrace the new year without feeling overwhelmed, I’d love to support you in your journey. Let’s connect for a complimentary 20-minute consultation and see if coaching is right for you. There’s never any pressure or obligation, just a great way for us to connect!
Click here to schedule your coaching consultation call today!