New Year Traditions

For better or worse (and sometimes better and worse), I am one of those people who loves celebrating the new year. Now that I’m not in the grief-haze of divorce and the haze-haze of adjusting to life in a covid world, I actually implemented some of my favorite traditions this year. Here are the things that help me get excited about turning the page on the calendar:

NYE AT HOME

Maybe I’ll change my mind about this as my son gets older, but covid all but cemented for me: a NYE at home is the way to go. I’ve dressed up, I’ve dressed down, I’ve drank champagne, and I’ve ate my weight in appetizers provided by Trader Joes. This year my son and I made cheese and chocolate fondue and watched Netflix’s Dance Monster. It was the perfect way to bring in the new year.

ORDERING A NEW PLANNER

True to my virgo roots, I love me a good planner. This year my parents gave me an Erin Condren gift card and I was able to order a fancy new planner, pens, and stickers. A planner’s dream. I get a small thrill deciding what planner I want because it sets the tone for the upcoming year. It’s also a great way to get organized and jot down some goals.

MAKING A LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

It doesn’t have to be a big list, or a list at all, but it’s nice to write down a few things that you’ll associate with the past year and see how much you’ve grown and accomplished. This past year was a tough one for me that was filled with hard lessons and big changes. I didn’t think I’d accomplished a whole lot this year, but seeing it written out filled me with pride. It’s easy to forget to celebrate the wins, but so important. It also gives you an opportunity to reflect on what didn’t work. Bonus points if you’re brave enough to share this list with others so they can celebrate (and keep you accountable) too!

1-SECOND VIDEO

This is a fairly new tradition, but one I enjoyed so much last year, I brought it back (and actually stuck to it in real time) this year. Alongside the “list of accomplishments” it’s really quite amazing to see how much changes and how much stays the same in a year. Especially as a parent, I always marvel at seeing my son’s growth. It’s a great way to get a little snapshot at your life.

MAKING A LIST OF GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR

(AKA Resolutions. AKA the most debated part of new year)

I like to call them goals, but call them whatever. Or don’t. I know some people are very against them. Personally, I love thinking about what I want my next year to look like. Usually I journal about it, but this year I just made a list on my notes app. The goals vary year-to-year and sometimes are more of how I want to feel, as opposed to things I want to accomplish. I also like to give my year a theme, or a mantra. This year’s theme for me is, “The Year I Share My Light with the World.”

VISION BOARDING

This is like the visual b-side to resolutions and a new tradition for me. My therapist suggested I check out Free Period Press Vision Board Book. It’s an easy-to-follow and fairly simple way to create a visual concept for the year. Plus, my son was also able to cut out images and create his own board, so it was a fun bonding activity (and something not involving a screen). The book was perfect for me, but magazines or freehand drawing could also do the trick. I hung my vision board up above my desk.

SOLO TIME

Probably my most sacred new year’s tradition is finding some solo time for me (I mean, when else am I going to have time to do all of this?!) I do think it’s important to have some time to reflect and take care of yourself on Jan 1. This year I did a body detox with my friend Luisa at Wellness Connection. It was an incredible experience and my body was thanking me for starting the year off prioritizing myself. (To be fair, I really did need to detox from all that fondue!)

What are some of your favorite new year traditions?