HNY. Here's a list of all the ways I'll be better in 2023.

Because what's the first week of January for?

Happy New Year to those that celebrate.

Over the past few days, as I do every year, I’ve been consuming every bit of media I can about setting goals in the new year.

Usually, they’re podcasts titled something like:

• ‘Do you really need to set New Year’s Resolutions?’

• ‘Why New Year’s Resolutions fail.’ Or:

• ‘What to do instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions’.

The crux of almost all the media I have consumed about them suggests one thing. New Year’s Resolutions suck. Don’t do it. Be gentle with yourself. Yada yada… And I get it. I really do. But, in case you didn’t suspect it already from the subject line: I’m a goal-setter. There’s nothing I love more than a blank page to be filled with lists of self-improvement techniques and plans for the future.

Will I burn out and lose any motivation I had when writing said lists in two weeks? Maybe! But that’s not the point.

What I’ve noticed more and more in recent years is that it’s become trendy to not set goals for yourself in a new year. It’s almost cringey to do so.

There’s the ongoing joke that gyms are packed to the brim with rookies for the first week of January only to empty out by February.

@tobias_jakobsenGotta love the new year’s resolutions! #gymtok #gymfail #gymmemes #viral #fyp

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But to those people I say, where is your optimism? I know that in theory if there’s something you want to change about your life you should do so straight away but what’s with the disdain for people who are simply motivated by a fresh start?

I’m conscious that so far, this has been a whiney-sounding defence of my decision to set New Year’s Resolutions. I’m also conscious that for many people, New Year’s Resolutions can reinforce guilt and shame for not being the person you dreamed of. Do take it easy on yourself, if you fall into this camp.

Regardless, I continue to see the benefit of striving to be better in the New Year. So, here’s the ways I’m planning to do so for myself:

1. I’ll be reading every day.

Every year, I set myself a reading goal on GoodReads. (You should add me as a friend over there, if you like.)

Anyway, last year I set myself the goal of reading 20 books. As November rolled around, I realised I’d only read 14 or 16. Then I smashed out my last 5/6 in 6 weeks. I know I can read, quite easily. And I really enjoy it too when I find the right book.

So, I’ve worked out a new method for reading. On Kindle, you can ‘try a sample’ of any book you’d like to read, and it gives you the first 10% or so. Every night at around 8.30/9pm I switch off my phone and switch over to my kindle till I fall asleep. Now, I’ve gotten myself into the routine of reading samples of any given book. If I finish a sample and want to keep reading, I’ll buy the book and keep going. If not, I’ll start a new sample.

And let me tell you, I am speeding through books. It’s the best. Now I have this routine down pat I’m aiming for 25 books in 2023.

Reccos, as always, would be fantastic.

2. I’ll eat more fresh, whole foods.

This is not about cutting anything. No no.

In 2023, I want to make a conscious effort to eat more fresh food.

I want to make nutritious breakfasts at home before work and try new recipes at dinner.

I want to fill up on food that makes me feel good, then top it off with my choc/chips/cookies.

3. I will take care of my hair/nails/skin.

I used to be a nail-biter. But not in 2023.

This year I want to keep up my hair, skin, and nail care, which I’m hoping shouldn’t be too hard because there’s nothing I love more than getting manicures and doing my skincare/haircare on a Sunday.

4. I’ll invest in my health.

This year I’ll continue seeing my psychologist… even when I run out of medicare rebate sessions because she’s that good.

I’m also starting PT again this week because it really was worthwhile when I used to see one, but I seem to always get caught up in how much it costs.

The fact is, nowadays I have enough money to spend on a personal trainer. I just haven’t realised how much I valued it until now.

So there you have it!

Those are my main intentions for 2023. All achievable enough I hope, and as of Jan 4, so far so good.

How do you feel about New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have any plans for the year ahead? Research shows that when someone publicly shares their goals, they have around a 65% chance of success. However, having a specific accountability partner boosts that chance to 95.

Let me be that person for you and leave a comment, or reply to this email.

Oh, and one final recommendation:

If you’re still on the self-help bandwagon of a fresh year, could I recommend checking out Atomic Habits by James Clear?

I’m very late to the Atomic Habits party but fck it is just as good as everyone has been saying for years.

If you have things you’d like to get better at, change, or stop, this is your cheat sheet.

Okay! That’s all from me. I hope all your wishes come true in 2023, and I’ll speak to you soon. X