Let’s kick off 2022 the right way with some of the best things you can do to start the New Year feeling motivated, organized, and ready to rock.
13 Things To Do To Start 2022 off Right
This list is more than just setting New Year resolutions; they’re steps and habits that will change your mindset and leave you feeling ready to tackle what 2022 has in store.
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1. Create a Vision Board
Vision boards are created based on the law of attraction and as a way to visualize your goals and what you want to achieve. More and more people are using visualizing practices to set goals and plan their lives.
“Creating a vision board allows you to see your goals every day so that you stay positive and you take inspired action each and every day,” says Victoria from Motherhood Life Balance. “Place your vision board on your phone, your laptop, and your tablet so you’re always reminded of where you want to go.”
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2. Make Time for Self Care
Start the New Year by taking time for yourself and ensuring that you've been taken care of. That may be as simple as prioritizing sleep and or saying no to more social events so you can put yourself and some rest first.
“We’ve all had a rough year with Covid, so why not start the year off right with some self-care? It’s so important to treat and take care of ourselves, especially during these hard times,” says Binet from Beauty on 44th Street.
“A couple of ways you can practice self-care are by using DIY face masks and DIY body scrubs. Why not start the year feeling and looking good?”
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3. Write Out Your Goals
There’s something powerful about writing down your goals. Some call it a way of manifesting, some call it the law of attractions, and some find it a motivating way to stay motivated.
“Start the new year off right by writing down your goal. Whether it’s saving enough money for a down payment of a new car or simply keeping your kitchen counter clean, writing down your goal will create a path for your brain to make it happen,” says Noreen from Our Two Family.
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4. Let Go of Last Year
Leave last year behind so that you can make room for new and exciting things.
“The act of starting fresh will be useless and will only fall into the category of clichés if we don't work on it the right way,” says Clyde from What Blogs Her Mind.“Starting a new means recollecting what has happened the past year and thinking about how you could avoid those bad experiences to happen again. Also, think of your present situation. What do you want to change right now? From that, you can work out a plan for a new start.”
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5. Spend Less Time in the Kitchen
Do you dislike cooking and figuring out what to cook each day? Less cooking and meal planning might be a habit perfect for this year. Make meals that you can freeze for more than one meal.
“Working full time and having a toddler at home means my time is pushed to the limit. One of my goals to start 2022 off right is cutting back the time I spend on cooking,” says Brenda from Become Betty.
“If I can make twice as much and freeze it, I will. It's cooked once and eaten twice going forward. If I can cut back on dishes and cooking, then I've given myself the most valuable thing of all: time.”
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6. Plan Out the Full Year Ahead
Create a vision and plan for the year ahead. Here are some ways you can do that.
“Making a broad plan for the year is a great way to start and then break that down into quarterly goals. This will help you know what you need to do as you go along to accomplish your goals. This will also provide you with a check-in point to assess your progress to date and see if you need to adjust goals and processes.”
“Make sure to mark these dates down in your planner. Feel to break your big goal down further into monthly goals and put those on your planner as well,” says Scarlet from Family Focus Blog.
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7. Implement a Habit, Not a Goal
Goal planning might not be for you. Sometimes our New Years' goals don’t happen, so what if we implement a new habit instead?
“When New Year comes around, and we all pick extraneous “goals,” such as exercise more or drinking more water, it is not productive or sustainable. It is just a sentence and not an actionable plan, says Brianna from Simply Life By Bri
“Try to develop a new habit this New Year. If your goal is to drink more water, your habit is to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. This is an actionable habit that can be broken down into small pieces and tracked over a while.”
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8. Add New Fun Recipes to Your Meal Rotation
Change up your eating habits and routines with a new recipe and meals that you can have fun with this New Year.
“If you've already started thinking about budgeting or eating right as New Year's resolutions, then it's time to add a few new recipes to your repertoire. Not only does making food at home save you a ton of money, but it's also healthier than something you grab at the convenience store or fast food joint. There are plenty of easy and cheap recipes to be found online that suit every diet,” says Hillary from Home Grown Hillary.
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9. Pick One Green Initiative To Implement
Help your environment this year and implement a green initiative for the year. Small changes can make a big difference in your life and the lives around us.
“Pick one small, doable thing to make your home, your family, or the planet healthier. This could be as simple as finally switching to a metal water bottle, a minor move which can accomplish so much,” says Susannah from Healthy Green Savvy.
“People often resolve to make huge changes (like cleaning up their diet or spending less money) and then feel like failures when they don't accomplish them. By choosing one doable thing to accomplish first, they get to enjoy the benefits and may get inspired to choose another small step toward a larger goal.”
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10. Pay Off Outstanding Debts and Create a Financial Plan
January is an excellent time to review your financial situation and create a plan to lower your debt and achieve your financial goals.
“The end of the year can see many people with debt due to Christmas overspending. So January is the perfect time to start paying off debts and save towards any future spending, to be able to break the cycle of debt finally,” says Claire from Money Saving Central.
“There are 100s of money-saving tips out there, all of which can be tailored to suit any household and budget, which can help your income stretch further. To start any reliable money-saving journey, creating a budget is key!”
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11. Be Realistic and Intentional With Your Goals
It’s easy to get caught up on goal planning, and many times some of the goals that you set and don’t reach might have been because they weren’t realistic and attainable.
“The start of a new year brings a lot of pressure and expectations for setting big goals in our life. Start the new year off right. It’s essential to make realistic and attainable goals. An example of a smaller goal could be something as simple as committing to send birthday cards over the next year to your family and friends as a way to brighten their day,” says Krissy from The Hadicks.
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12. Read a New Book
Kick off the New Year with a new book! Maybe even commit to reading a few new books this year. There are so many benefits to reading that you’re sure to feel good about his new endeavor.
“With the new year about to start, start it off right by setting a goal to read a new book every month. There are many benefits to reading, like helping in sleep, increasing vocabulary, improving reading comprehension, and health benefits like lowering heart rate and blood pressure,” says Jessica from The Forked Spoon.
“If it's hard to find time to sit and enjoy a paper or e-book, try an audiobook right from your smartphone. You can listen to the audiobook when commuting, running errands, or even in bed before sleep. Setting a goal of a book a month is a practical way to improve yourself this new year.”
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13. Plan a Vacation for 2022
Even with travel all up in the air, there are still benefits to planning a vacation in 2022.
Anecdotally, people love having a vacation to look forward to. Well, there's really something to that idea,” said Monica from A Planner at Heart. “Published research shows that people actually get more pleasure from planning a trip than from taking it. So whether you end up taking the trip this year, next year or next decade, you can scratch your travel itch by planning that dream trip to Maui or America's National Parks in 2022 and file it away for when you feel comfortable traveling.”
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