As we sprint towards the end of the year, I haven’t stopped to properly catch my breath. It’s been a big year, both personally and professionally, which I won’t dwell on in this post. Instead, I’d like to share some of my favourite ways to prepare for the new year.
2018 is a clean slate and the negativity and stresses of 2017 needn’t spill over into the new year. I like to start each year with a blank sheet of paper (both literally and figuratively). Finding a day planner that speaks to your soul is essential in my books (pun intended) and I’m always one of the first in line to purchase a new agenda. The ban.do planners are my absolute favourite because they don’t take themselves too seriously. There’s nothing worse than a dull day planner and these are quite the opposite. Chock full of stickers, hand-drawn artwork and important holidays (ie. National Plant a Flower Day!) – it’s a good daily reminder to not sweat the small stuff and to always use every shade of highlighter…
When mapping out 2018, I made sure to schedule in some holidays and plenty of travel. It’s the best way to stay inspired and continue creating and growing. I’m planning on visiting Gold Coast/Byron Bay, Rarotonga, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Toronto, heading back home to Saskatchewan, and exploring more of New Zealand with family. I also write down a few of the major milestones I have coming up, weddings, birthdays, babies, and everything in between. Life is worth celebrating, right?
In addition to taking pen to paper, I also like to get my digital house in order. I’m in the midst of unsubscribing from all the clutter in my inbox – a girl can only handle so many discount codes and free shipping notifications.
Now that my day planner is filled with dates (and stickers) and my inbox is looking a bit tidier, it’s time to think about my physical goals for the year. I used to love running half marathons, but haven’t done one in years, so I’m looking at dates and training schedules. I’ve been a member at Les Mills for almost two years, but the new year is a good time to consider alternative exercise options.
This year we moved into our first home, so Nick and I have started planning the renovations and home improvements on our wishlist. I’ve also started going through my wardrobe, donating the items that I no longer wear and organising the ones that are on heavy rotation. I’m messier than I care to admit, so my things tend to spill into multiple rooms. Needless to say, an end of year clean is a definite priority.
What do you do to prepare for a new year? Are you stickler for planning or do you prefer to take it easy and wind down over the last few days of the year?
This post was in collaboration with ban.do, but all opinions are my own.
Images by Jillian Miller Photography
