17 Simple Ways to Ease into the New Year

Today, we’re sharing 17 simple ways to ease into the New Year!

I don’t know what it is about seeing January 1^st on the calendar that makes me so excited for a fresh start.

In my heart, I know and truly believe every single day is a chance fresh start.

And on the days I’ve jumped on the crazy train and forgotten to “mind my manners” every minute is a chance for a fresh start.

Am I right?

I don’t know about you but I am so excited about the upcoming year and everything from milestone birthdays to bucket list dreams.

This year could possibly be our best year yet and I hope it’s going to be the best year yet for you too!

If you still need a few celebration ideas, be sure to check out our Rustic New Year’s Tablescape which is an NYE inspired blog hop featuring some of our favorite bloggers as well as our super easy New Year’s cocktail recipe called, Santa’s Florida Kiss!

There are going to be a lot of festivities coming up this week, so here’s a look at 17 Simple Ways to Ease into the New Year to help make planning for next year a little easier…

Be Fully Present at All Holiday Celebrations

No matter what the size of your Christmas & holiday celebrations, the number of presents wrapped under your tree, or the amount of food you serve at your New Year’s Eve party, be fully present during your time with friends and family.

Your time together is a gift.

Make Plans to Ring in the New Year

I know this day/night can be really hard. Especially, if you’re single, divorced, widowed, or grieving loved ones.

Believe me, when I say, I totally get it.

Make plans to ring in the New Year now so the day doesn’t catch you off guard when it finally arrives.

Stay at home and host a game night in your pajamas, get dressed up and enjoy a quiet candlelight dinner, or host a bonfire in your back yard.

It doesn’t have to be fancy at all – all you have to do is celebrate!

Organize Your Christmas Ornaments and Decorations Before You Put Them Away

Organize your decorations by color or theme before you put them back in the attic or basement.

This way you’ll have a head start on next year’s decorating.

Bonus points if you decide on your decorating theme now so you can pick up special ornaments, papers, trees, ribbons, and holiday décor while it’s on sale!

Write Down Your Goals

Writing down your goals will help you get clear on what you actually want. It will also:

• Provide motivation
• Help you stop procrastinating
• Give you a reason to celebrate your progress throughout the year

They can be home goals, business goals, weight loss goals, or personal goals. Writing them down will give you a clear reminder of what you want to achieve this year.

Make a Plan for Your Goals

Writing down the goal is step one. Making a plan is step two.  Taking action is step 3!

Your plan should be clear and include purpose-driven achievable steps on how you plan to work toward each goal.

The steps should also include a timeline or deadline to help keep you accountable and on track, as you work to reach the long-term vision you have set for yourself this year.

Start a Victory or Gratitude Journal

I know it’s been a really hard year for so many people.  From major illnesses to death and loss, to hurricane and fire destruction, to job loss – life can definitely come at you in a million different ways.

It can be a lot to handle!

Make a solid commitment to yourself to start off the new year with a mindset of victory and kick defeat to the curb, ok?

The simple act of writing down even one thing you’re grateful for or feel victorious about each day will set you up for success all year!

Buy a New Calendar or Planner

I may be totally old-fashioned but I still keep a paper calendar. It gives me complete joy to open the planner in the month of January and start putting pen to paper.

Complete. joy.

In the past, I’ve used and enjoyed the Planner Pad, the Take Charge calendar by At A Glance, and the Day Designer Original Daily Planner.  I’ve also used the goal-setting planner, PowerSheets by the team at Cultivate What Matters for 2 years now and loved it as well.

This year, I decided to try a custom planner from Plum Paper because the options to personalize were just too good to pass up!

My best advice when choosing a calendar or planner is to get one that works for your current needs and season of life.  It doesn’t do any good to buy a pretty calendar that just sits on a shelf or in your laptop bag.

Find something you love and will want to use.  The extra effort is definitely worth it!

Chose a Word of the Year

For the past few years, I’ve chosen a “Word of the Year” and carried that one word throughout the entire year.

In years past, I’ve chosen:

• Believe (2014)
• Committed (2015)
• Intention (2016) 
• Open (2017)
• Consistent (2018)
• Simplifiy (2019)
• CoCo (2020)

It may sound like a small thing. But having a one-word reminder helps me to keep focused on my priorities and values in the midst of the hustle and bustle all year.

If you haven’t tried it yet, as we ease into the new year, you totally should.

Create a Soundtrack of your Life

Ok, some of you may be too young for this one but did you ever have a mixed tape or cd or even a record you put on for all your “life events?”

One year for Christmas my sisters gave me a series of mixed cd’s that I still play to this day.

If you’ve graduated to iTunes, Amazon Play, and Spotify, let this year be the year you set up a soundtrack for the sole purpose of celebrating being YOU!

Create a Signature Style at Home

So many people get overwhelmed by creating and cultivating a signature style for their home.  But I promise you can totally do this!

Perhaps, you don’t invite people over because you’re embarrassed about the way your home looks.  I used to feel the same way.

Now is a great time to look through books, magazines, blogs, and Pinterest to begin creating a signature style and a home you love and are proud of.

If you’ve already started creating your signature look, keep up the good work, and continue to refine your style even more!

Declutter Closets, Shelves, and Drawers

I know this time of year is super busy.

But if you spend 15 minutes a day going through the clothes you’ve outgrown or decluttering those items on your shelf that no longer fit the style of your home you’ll have given yourself plenty of space to create a home you truly love.

Ease into the New Year by asking yourself, what space or area of your home need to be decluttered first.

Develop Your Personal Clothing Style

There are some people that always look pulled together no matter what they wear or where they are going.

My baby sister is one of those people. She gets it from my mom who is also one of those people.

Have a trusted friend help you go through your closet and help you pull together outfits that make you feel confident every time step out your front door.

Commit to a Workout Schedule

Even if you have no plans to run a marathon, or participate in a triathlon this year, commit to a solid workout schedule now.

Is it hard?

Yeah, sometimes I just want to eat donuts and hang out in the mornings drinking coffee and curled up with a good book.

But I feel a million times better after those first few miles are behind me and I know you will too.

Kickstart a Healthy Meal Plan

Help yourself out and start meal planning healthy options today.  You don’t have to wait until January 1st.

The bonus is that you’ll no longer have to hear, “What’s for dinner?” at 4:05 pm every day because you’ll already be prepared and armed with a plan.

If looking through cookbooks or for recipes online is too time-consuming, you can always check out weekly From the Front Porch posts.

We give you a healthy-ish meal plan and menu ideas each week that will make things easier for you as we ease into the New Year.

Get a Cleaning Schedule that Actually Works

Cleaning schedules like clothes are not one size fits all.

If you feel overwhelmed just by saying the words, “I’m going to clean the house today,” consider doing a little bit each day.

For example, bathrooms on Mondays, floors on Tuesdays, laundry on Wednesdays…you get the idea.

On the other hand, if knowing you have to clean every day even if it’s for just a few minutes drives you bananas set aside one day a week to tidy your home.

The key to a clean home is consistency!

Start Practicing Your Morning/Night Routines Now

If you want to start a morning or night routine now is a great time to set yourself up for success and get a game plan in place before we ease into the New Year.

This is another area where planning and consistency will be key.

It takes a bit of practice at first, especially if it’s new. But the payoff will help to ease the stresses of life and help you reach major milestones with your goals and dreams.

Set a Date to Do Something Fun in the New Year

Once you have chosen your calendar/planner, start putting things in it!

Book a retreat you’ve been putting off, make a lunch date with your girlfriends, grab breakfast on the beach with your bestie, make a shopping date with your mom, take a photography class or learn to paint.

The point is to give yourself something fun to look forward to this year!

I hope these 17 simple ways to ease into the New Year have helped.  It’s going to be an exciting year, I can feel it already!

Let us know how you plan to start the New Year.  We definitely want to cheer you on!

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo