Happy New Year my friends! I hope that 2023 is starting off right for you.
I’m into using January as a fresh start.
I’m always trying things and making fresh starts throughout the year, but January feels like such a clean slate that I can’t resist.
December is this dark, cozy time where we let ourselves eat and drink all the goodies, and we spend time playing games and watching movies under blankets.
Then comes January, and it feels all clean and stark and fresh (at least to me).
This year we took down all of our decorations at the same time. Usually I stretch it out over January, but last week it just felt like a full clean up was required. It made my home feel more spacious.
I don’t do resolutions, but I do set intentions. I clean up my habits. I try to leave some things behind in the old year.
One of the things I’ve been wrestling with is time management. (I suspect that if you ask me in five years, I’ll still be struggling with this.)
There never seemed to be enough time in the day, which didn’t make sense, so I started to look into how I’m actually spending my time.
Part of it was being distracted by my phone. I’ve put some new rules in place and they’re helping so far:
No Tiktok in the morning (it’s a rabbit hole I just fall into).
When I sit down to work (like right now) my phone is placed out of reach.
I reorganized the apps on my screen so I don’t see them as easily.
When I go into my phone for a purpose, I focus on only that task. No clicking on Instagram just to see what’s happening there.
I’m also trying to stick to my schedule of work in the morning, and coffee meetings or errands only in the afternoon. This suits my energy and keeps me productive.
I’ve stopped drinking coffee after 12 pm, and I’m limiting myself to 2 cups a day. It’s already helping me sleep better.
In December, I finally faced the fact that a lot of my issues with time are related to brain fog due to my age and stage in life. I’d been beating myself up for forgetting things or being disorganized. Rarely does that help.
Instead, I’m getting my vitamin levels checked by the doctor (maybe I need more B12?) and I’m putting in place some new systems to aid my memory and organization. I recently coached a client to “be her own best friend” and that’s what I’m doing for myself.
All of this feels like a bit of decluttering for my daily life. I had habits that weren’t serving me, and I had stopped doing things that benefit me. I’m getting all of that back in alignment and keeping track of how much better it feels. That’s how I motivate myself to keep it up – I focus on the WHY.
What have you stopped doing that you know you should start again?
What have you started doing that you know you should stop?
What would your life feel like if you did one of each of those things?
Another new year plan for me is to write every day. I suspect that some of that writing will make its way here. I intend to post a blog every Friday here on Substack. I look forward to connecting with you!
If you like to see ideas for managing your time, this graphic blog is fun and inspiring.