4 Tips to Start the New Year Off Right

Updated: January 13, 2022

By Brooke Weber, Pretzel Kids content writer

You probably already know that it’s important to start the new year off right.

A new year signifies a time to set goals, start out with a fresh outlook and start new habits.

Start the new year off right!

In 2023, here’s a mindful challenge: don’t erase 2022 from your memory completely. We know it’s tough and you may be looking for stress relief, but there are so many valuable lessons to be learned from the past year! To help you get started, here are 4 tips to start the new year off right.

1. Take stock of what you missed the most

The best fresh starts begin with a look back. Whatever it might be for you and your family, make note of a few things that you didn’t get to do last year. Make a list of things you want to accomplish this year.

Getting to know yourself

Once you’ve made this list, congratulate yourself! Heading into 2023, you’ll now know exactly what you value above all else – it might be quality time with family and friends, physical activity, social interaction, being surrounded by a healthy amount of positivity, or any number of other things. With this new information about yourself, you can set a goal for 2023 to incorporate these things into your life. 

Perhaps you can make concrete plans to get together with a friend for a walk every week, or sign up for that kids’ yoga teacher training you’ve always wanted to take. Hold yourself accountable to these goals, and start the new year off right! 

2. Visualize

If you’re feeling a bit lost as to what the coming year might hold for you, you’re not alone. Luckily, there are ways to get inspired! Try creating a mood board, either on Pinterest or on a physical piece of cardboard or foam board. Put together pictures and words that represent what you’re striving for this year. It can be as broad as a joyful vibe full of sunflowers and your favorite song lyrics or as specific as photos representing a new career you want to start. That’s the best part – it’s completely up to you!

Make it happen!

Once you’ve made your mood board, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make it a reality. Perhaps you want to teach kids yoga as a career? What will it take to achieve this? It’s time to get into the most famous of New Year’s activities: making those new year’s resolutions.

3. Keep your resolutions achievable

While it’s tempting to resolve to permanently delete all your social media or never worry about anything again, these resolutions are a tad unrealistic. Let’s take ‘never worrying’ as an example. Think about why you want stress relief next year. Maybe you simply tend to overthink things. Either way, you might make a resolution not to worry even though you know all your stress won’t melt away. But, you can still focus on mindfulness strategies for stress relief. 

Break it down and build yourself up

Rather than setting all-or-nothing resolutions, set incremental goals with achievable plans of action behind them. That way, you can take things slow and make a change in your life that’ll last. In our example about never worrying, you could instead identify things that help you stay calm and be more mindful. Then, you can make a concrete resolution to incorporate that goal into your life. This resolution might end up being, “I’m going to spend half an hour every day on my yoga teacher training course.” This gives you something real and accessible that you can cross off your to-do list to reduce anxiety – plus, in just 12 total hours of training with Pretzel Kids, you’ll have achieved a larger goal of becoming a certified kids’ yoga instructor! 

4. Think about mindfulness strategies for stress relief

One of the best things about the past year is that you probably learned to tap into strengths you never knew you had! You may have taken up walking around your neighborhood every day or picked up a new hobby like knitting or yoga classes for yourself and the kids.

Take the good and leave the rest!

Some of these coping mechanisms are certainly healthier than others. Mindfulness and meditation, as well as physical exercise and yoga, are actually known to boost your immune system – and help you center yourself mentally. Scrolling through your phone for hours on end…maybe less so. The good thing is that we’re all guilty of this sometimes – and that’s okay! If you end up scrolling for a few hours when you meant to only do so for a few minutes, it’s by no means the end of the world. A slip-up is just that: a slip-up. You can still pursue your healthy coping mechanisms and try to cut back on the ones that won’t be as beneficial while practicing gratitude.

Live your best life!

You’ve taken steps to understand your core values, made achievable resolutions, visualized your ideal year and learned how to tap into your own resilience. Now, all you’ve got to do is face the new year with a positive outlook and the determination you’ll need to make this the best year yet! This won’t mean an immediate end to all your struggles, but it certainly does mean that you can change your perspective and head into the new year with a fresh outlook. 

Here’s one final pro tip: Want to make kids yoga a part of your New Year’s resolutions? You can get the whole family active by doing yoga with your kids or starting a side hustle to become a Pretzel Kids yoga instructor!