Life

How to Start a New Life This New Year

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How to Start a New Life This New Year
Cr.: Artbyenrii/X

Every new year, a battalion of people make vision boards and lay out new habits, goals, and activities they would love to indulge in and very few people make it past the first-month enthusiasm before life hits again and washes over the sand castle they built.

A study by researchers at Scranton University found that only 19 per cent of individuals keep their resolutions. Most are abandoned by mid-January. However, there is a way to hold on to these habits even when life hits.

The new year is here; it is the perfect time to reinvent your life. Here are a few tips to help you build a new life in a new year and ensure this is your best year ever.

  • Be specific about your goals: A lot of experts recommend that you should make goals for the first quarter of the year. However, it is better to keep three goal calendars. One that is in tandem with your vision board and consists of your yearly goal. Another for the first quarter of the year. And the final one is a monthly goal. It allows you to see a bigger picture and the work needed to paint that bigger picture. When establishing your goals, be selective. It’s better to move one thing forward a mile than ten things forward an inch. Make sure to tell friends, family members, and trusted colleagues about your plans so that they can support you in any way they can, even if it’s just calling you to order when you misstep.
  • Find your principles: It is extremely important you create a pattern for yourself with an unshakeable belief. Isolate yourself from the world, think about what moments keep you happy, check out individuals who inspire you, listen to your gut reaction, and make your scale of preference. These value systems and beliefs will inform your actions and shape how you perceive the world and interact with others. Without these core values to anchor you, you’ll drift through life and wonder about the point of your daily activities. Principles help you identify what’s worthwhile, so you can incorporate more of it into your life and help you live intentionally. 
  • Kill your ego:  The ego is an over-inflated sense of self-importance that can blind you to your weakness, hinder your progress, and prevent you from reaching your true potential. 

The ego is often what deters us from requesting help. You see asking for help as begging and beggars as subhumans you must never imitate.

The sense of separation damages your mind because there is nothing morally wrong with begging. There’s no shame in admitting that you need assistance. John O’Donoghue said the ego is the false self, born out of fear and defensiveness. The ego thrives on your belief that you can control everything and this in turn causes anxiety. Kill your ego and bask in the volatility of the world. 

  • Learn more from practice than theory: A lot of people suffer from analysis paralysis and action contrast. In this digital age, there is an overload of information. Knowledge is everywhere and you are attempting to absolve it all before you leap to start anything. However, we forget that if you want to become a lawyer, you don’t learn the whole curriculum before you enrol in the university. You get into the university and learn with action. And even when you are out from there you do not stop learning with action. You go to law school, become a junior lawyer, and then work your way into senior roles. Always lean into more practice than theory. 

  • Touch grass more: The digital world traps you in constant exposure to online drama, negativity, and unrealistic comparisons and this can take a toll on your mental health. Excessive online activity can lead to decreased face-to-face interaction and weaken your sense of community.

Even with the bad economic climate, you can try going to parks, stadiums, free libraries, and even your friend’s house. Ensure you are getting real-life social interaction and building relationships with friends and family.

You might even stumble on opportunities while spending time outdoors. 

  • Find an accountability partner or community: When Hilda Bassey got the Guinness World Record for the longest time spent cooking you saw how that motivated a lot of Nigerians to believe they could do the same. When finding accountability partners or communities you want to look for like-minded people. Their achievement will bolster you as yours will push them as well. Also, knowing that others are aware of your goals and progress can provide a significant boost in motivation. The fear of letting others down becomes a powerful motivator to stay on track.
  • Invest in love: Love is the reason we exist and we must nurture it. You don’t just want to focus on romantic love. Invest in platonic relationships, healthy habits you love, and hobbies you enjoy. Love is a powerful source of joy and happiness and this can be a catalyst for personal growth
  • Bask in discomfort: If you are not uncomfortable you are not doing anything new and advanced and that’s not right. Discomfort goes pari passu with change and you should never feel comfortable with a stagnant life.  
  • Declutter: Letting go of toxic friends and situations, despite their childish appearance still holds immense importance in your adult life. Yes, you do not need to wait for the new year to let go of bad situations and opportunistic friends. However, if that is what it takes for you to let go, then please go ahead 
  • Discipline: Discipline is the bridge between your dreams and their realisation.  It provides structure and consistency. There is no formula to success, nonetheless, every successful person points to discipline.

Unfortunately, no one will teach you discipline. This is a trait you will have to develop on your own. It is what will distinguish you from people who give up on their New Year goals in mid-January. 

  • Accept that change takes time: Accept that your new habits will take time to stick. If you’ve promised yourself that you will not take soda again and unfortunately you break your no-soda streak on a hot Tuesday afternoon. Please, pick yourself back up, accept it was a mistake, and go again. Whenever you find yourself heading in the wrong direction, don’t hesitate to course correct. Goals can always be adjusted. 
Author

Jessica Onyemauche is a fashion contributor at Modaculture.

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