There’s no better time than the present to start implementing positive habits. The next best time is in preparation for a new year! Whether that’s January 1st, or 4-6 weeks in advance of the new year. The Virgo in me always thrives on a fresh start. A new week. A new month is even better. A new year is the best. Since we’re not far away from another year, it’s a great time to start thinking about positive life habits to put in place.
If you can identify the habits and start implementing them before the year ends, you’ll be primed and ready to take advantage of a new year. It’s not always easy to think about positive changes that need to happen, so I’m going to help you out! I’m sharing 6 positive life habits to start before the year ends. Hopefully you’ll start seeing some positive changes before the new year even begins!
6 Positive Life Habits to Start Before the Year Ends
#1 Start seeing a therapist or life coach regularly
One of my goals for 2024 was to find a therapist by the end of Q1 2024. I waited until the last day (but reached the goal) and after being in therapy consistently for months now, I wish I started sooner. It’s heavy, and even a little scary, to start seeing a therapist. You know there’s going to be a lot of self-reflection and tough questions. However, those are the things we need to grow as individuals.
If you want to implement a positive life habit before this next year, I highly recommend finding a therapist or life coach to start working with. So many benefits come out of therapy or working with someone who can help you figure things out in your life. Also, you can come and go with therapy. I don’t think we have to be in therapy indefinitely, but I do think it’s a must for all of us.
#2 Start listing 5 things you’re grateful for every morning
Gratitude makes for a richer life. There’s no two ways around it. If you don’t appreciate what you currently have, it’s going to be hard for you to appreciate more. You’ll never have enough. You’ll always need more…but it won’t really make you happy. A positive life habit to start ASAP, that costs $0, is creating a gratitude listing routine.
Every morning, list out 5 things you’re grateful for. They can be big things or small things. The point is that you find things to appreciate in your life. It doesn’t mean you have to stop working for more, or that you won’t have bad days. It just means you appreciate what is going right in your life. An attitude of gratitude makes all the difference.
#3 Start incorporating more walking into your daily routine
I understand that not everyone has the ability to join a gym or add strenuous physical activity to their days, but what we can all do is walk more. Adding more walking into your daily routine will not only help you feel better, but you’ll notice positive changes in your body.
Whether it’s taking multiple 10 minute breaks during your workday to walk outside. Whether it’s starting your day with a walk at the local park (like I do). Whether it’s ending your day with a walk. Whether it’s investing in a walking pad for your desk. There are so many ways to incorporate more walking into your daily routine. This positive life habit can yield so many wonderful benefits – mentally, physically, and spiritually.
#4 Start reading books on a consistent basis
While there’s nothing wrong with listening to audiobooks – I, myself, listen to them, I think there’s a lot of power in reading physical books. Not only does it temporarily take you away from your situation (do you get lost in stories like I do?) but reading is a great way to improve your brain’s functions. You’ll start speaking better, listening better and improving your vocabulary.
Make it a goal to start reading books on a consistent basis. If you don’t read it at all, start with the goal of finishing one book. If you currently read a few books a year, set a goal to double that number. Get into the habit of reading more now, that way it’s a smooth transition into the next year.
#5 Start monitoring the ingredients in the foods you eat
There are so many “tasty” foods that are filled with processed, fake, man-made ingredients that bring no nutritional value to our bodies. I’m guilty of indulging in those foods as well. I think a great goal for all of us is to start monitoring the ingredients in the foods we eat. That could mean making our own meals, so we control the ingredients. Or, it could mean becoming more knowledgeable about what we eat on a regular basis.
Drastic changes don’t always lead to consistent changes. Slowly start monitoring your ingredients, then slowly start making better food choices. This can have long term health and weight benefits. Not to mention, we’ll start to feel better as well!
#6 Start implementing self-care and self-love routines regularly
As women, it’s so easy for us to put ourselves on the backburner. We prioritize everyone else’s needs but our own. No more! A positive (and life-long) habit to start implementing now is adding more self-care and self-love routines on a regular basis. Whatever self-care and self-love looks like for you, vow to do more of those things.
Worried about the financial impact? Check out CGS Podcast Episode 61 – What Prioritizing Self-Care Looks Like for Me and My Budget for some examples of making self-care work for you financially. We can’t adequately fill up the cups of others if our own personal cups are always empty.
Related: 10 Goals to Make the Most of Your Life in the New Year
Each of the positive life habits I listed above can have a tremendous impact on your mental, physical and emotional well-being. Nurturing these parts of your life will produce wonderful results over time. It can be hard to implement a lot of new changes at once, so focus on implementing 1-2 of the most impactful changes for you.
Do you like to set goals before or right at the new year? What are some of the habits you want to implement moving into this next year? Share your goals and thoughts by leaving a note in the Comments section below!
-Raya
The CGS Team
