I know it may be a little early to be writing this blog post, but I have been reflecting on the events that occurred throughout the year and have been thinking about what I want to accomplish next year.
As we are approaching the end of 2021 we may start reflecting on the many highs and lows we experienced throughout the year and we may be wondering what we have to look forward to in the coming New Year.
We may look back at our successes, our failures, our proud moments, and our regrets. We may be thinking about things we did not do, things we should have done, and things we could have done differently. There may have been things we had planned to do accomplish, but never got around to it.
Having these negative thoughts may fill us with guilt, sadness, and regrets that we wasted time on things that were not really that important. So how do we overcome the end of the year blues and instead end the year on a positive note? Here are seven ways to help you end 2021 on a good note and start 2022 with a positive outlook.
Celebrate your achievements.
One of the ways to end the year with a smile is to remind ourselves of all the things we accomplished throughout the year.
For example, you finally ended a toxic relationship. Or you graduated from university with honors.
Maybe your boss finally gave you a raise. For me, when I look back at 2021, I feel proud of the four books I managed to self-publish while I recovered from a fractured hand.
No matter how big or small it may seem, your personal accomplishments are worth celebrating. Take some time out of your busy schedule and reward yourself for a job well done.
Identify the things you weren’t able to accomplish.
After you have celebrated your successes, it is now time to focus on what you did not accomplish. Think of all the things you did not achieve and think about what prevented you from achieving those goals.
Was it sickness, a death in the family, or a job loss that held you back? Or was it a lack of money and resources that stood in your way?
I know that the pandemic caused disruption in many lives. It caused businesses to shut down and many people to lose their jobs.
Once you have identified the obstacles that blocked you, think about what you can do to break through those obstacles to achieve your goals in the following year.
Prepare for the New Year.
Are you ready for the New Year? What are your plans? How are you going to achieve your dreams and goals? There are four things you can do right now to prepare for 2022.
Analyze each area of your life. How do you feel now that the year is coming to an end? Do you feel happy and fulfilled? Or do you feel frustrated and dissatisfied with your life? Consider each area of your life such as your physical and mental health, your finances, your family and relationships, your education and career, and your spiritual wellbeing.
Are you where you want to be in life? Which areas do you feel you need to change or improve on? Consider what it is about yourself that you would like to change or develop. Focus on one or two areas and make it a priority to make some changes.
Create a vision board. To get an idea of what you would like to do to make your life better in 2022, you could make a collage of pictures and words that represent your goals and dreams for the New Year. For example, on your vision board, you could include a picture of a house, a car, a luxury cruise, or a couple getting married. This helps you to start focusing on what you want to achieve in the New Year.
Get organized. Before you can plan a successful New Year, you first need to get yourself organized. Get rid of stuff that you no longer need. Clean out your closet, your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. If you work from home, clean out your home office. If you travel to work, clean out your desk at the office. Also, clean out your car. Having everything in its place and being able to find what you’re looking for is a great way to prepare for the New Year.
Review your financial situation. Maybe 2021 was not really a great year in terms of your finances. Maybe you had to take out a loan, use your credit card more often than you wanted to, or you found yourself deeper in debt. Or maybe you hit rock bottom in your finances and don’t know how to get out of it. But don’t despair, hope is on the horizon! You need to sit down and take a hard look at your finances. Make a list of all of your debts and add them all up so that you know exactly how much you owe. See if you can reduce your expenses and think about how you can earn extra income. Make this one of the goals that you want to achieve in 2022.
Make a list of New Year’s Resolutions
Don’t wait until January 1st to make your resolutions. Start planning for the New Year right now.
Take the next few weeks to think about your goals and how you plan to achieve each one. Make a list of what you want to accomplish in the New Year.
You don’t have to wait until 2022 to take action. Start working on some of your New Year’s resolutions now. Have all of your plans in place so that you will be able to follow through on them when the New Year begins.
Be thankful.
Another way to end the year on a positive note is to make a list thanking God for all the things He has done for you. It may not come easy at first, especially living through the last two years of hell while the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our lives. But if we sit quietly and think about it, many things will pop up that we can be grateful for.
For example, thank God for providing you with food, clothing, and shelter. Be grateful for your family and friends. Thank God for blessing you with a new job, a kind and supportive manager, and colleagues that you are able to get along with. Thank God for helping you to get up every morning to see a new day.
Although you may have lived through a very tough year, I’m sure that you can always find something to be grateful for in your life. Being grateful is one of the most effective ways to turn the end of the year around into something more positive.
Forgive yourself.
Towards the end of the year, you may start thinking about your past mistakes, the stupid decisions you made, and the dumb things you did that made your life even worse than it already was. Or maybe you said or did something to hurt someone else.
You may be carrying a lot of pain, guilt, anger, and regret in your heart, but carrying these negative feelings over into the New Year is unhealthy and it won’t make your life any better.
The first step you need to take to move forward with your life is to acknowledge that you are human and that human beings often make mistakes. Accept your humanity and take responsibility for where you went wrong.
Acknowledge what you did and make the decision to move forward with your life. If you have hurt or offended anyone, apologize to them, acknowledge your mistake, and try to make amends. The person may accept your apology or they may not. Either way, apologizing and trying to make amends can help you to feel better about yourself.
Spend some time thinking about what you did wrong and how you can avoid making that same mistake again. It helps to write it down or to talk to someone you trust. They can help you to understand why you chose to go down the wrong path and what you can do to ensure that you make better decisions in the future.
If you don’t feel comfortable talking to someone about it, then why not pour your heart out to God? He is a good listener, and He is also very loving and compassionate. People say that ‘confession is good for the soul’. Confess your sins and wrongdoings to God and He will surely forgive you. But make sure that you also forgive yourself.
Learn from your mistakes and move forward with your life. Stop reliving past mistakes. Accept that you cannot change the past. Release the anger, guilt, and regret and forgive yourself. You understand what you did wrong and you will not make the same mistake again. Cast those negative feelings aside and fill your mind with positive thoughts. Think about how you can make the New Year better.
Relax and have fun.
With Christmas and New Year’s Day coming up, there will be plenty of opportunities to relax and have fun. If you are able to, take some time off during the Christmas holiday.
Sleep in, watch TV, spend time with your family and hang out with your friends. Listen to your favorite music. Relax at the beach. Recharge your inner batteries so that you will be prepared for the start of the New Year.
I think we can all agree that 2021 was a tough year. We are all still trying very hard to get our lives back to some sort of normalcy since the Covid-19 pandemic started. But there’s a lot we can do to ensure that we end 2021 on a positive note and be prepared for the New Year.
Celebrate your achievements, identify the things you weren’t able to accomplish, prepare for the New Year, make a list of New Year’s resolutions, be thankful, forgive yourself, relax and have fun. Following these steps will help you to end this year positively and to kickstart the New Year with renewed hope and optimism.
