Everyone I know is ready to kick 2020 to the curb and ring in the new year. But, just like everything else in 2020, traditions around New Year’s Eve are going to look different than in years past.
For one, how do you transition to a new year with hope and optimism when there is still so much uncertainty and so many unknowns looming on the horizon?
If you’re feeling a bit lost on starting the new year, check out these 3 promising ways to kick off 2021!
2020 has been a year with more unexpected events than many of us on this earth have ever witnessed. And if it’s taught us anything, it’s that those tried-and-true sayings of “expect the unexpected” and “even the best laid plans go to waste” have more merit than we may have ever thought.
But, if we look a little deeper, we also see 2020 has taught us about resilience, community, slowing down, and coming together. The new year is on the horizon, but the difficulties of 2020 are still simmering under the surface for many and still boiling over for others.
So, how do you kick off 2021 when you’re still trying to contain all that came with 2020?
Reflect on what you’ve learned.
You’re still here.
Take a moment to process what that really means, to sit with all you’ve walked through in the past year. The year has been unimaginably hard, but you’re still here. You’ve overcome, you’ve struggled, you’ve likely cried, and you’ve likely laughed. And you’re still here.
As you move closer towards the new year, allow yourself some space to pause and reflect on all you’ve been through and what you’ve learned – about those around you, about life, and about yourself.
What surprised you?
What, or who, is there that you need to let go?
What, or who, is there that you hope to carry forward?
What strengths helped you make it this far?
Simply pause, as 2020 has often forced us to do, and see what’s there.
Set an intention.
Whether your lessons feel like many or just a few, use what’s there to set an intention for the year ahead. An intention, rather than a goal, focuses on a way of being rather than something to do.
While goals have their purpose, as you approach a year still full of unknowns, setting a goal may lead to frustration or disappointment if more curve balls get thrown our way. An intention can be carried forward regardless of what life throws at us.
When setting an intention, it may be helpful to consider:
· How you want to approach life
· What quality you hope to embody
· How you will cultivate your intention
· How you will hold your intention at the forefront of your daily activities
For me, I intend to continue practicing acceptance, patience, and presence as I move into 2021 – with myself as much as others.
Be present for the process.
As we have hopes for the world to open back up and for life to return to some sense of normalcy, be present for the process.
Notice what is, right now, in this moment.
Allow yourself to be still, to stop, to simply sit with yourself and others.
Pause and be present.
2020 has been devastating, but there has been beauty in the slowing down, the forced pause, and the remembering of the importance of deep connection.
As you prepare for 2021, reflect on where you’ve been. Set an intention for what is to come. And allow yourself to be present for whatever that may be.
#mindfulness #NewYearsEve #wellness #wellnessjourney #wellnesscoach #intentionalliving #mindfulliving #NewYear #goodbye2020