Look Forward to the New Year ✨ Move Closer to Your New "Perfect" Life

This year has been filled with a myriad of surprises, emotional upheavals and change. It has transformed us all in small and big ways, for better or for worse.

Looking on the bright side, this year has reminded us about what are the most important in life: our well-being (both physical and mental) and the connection with our loved ones.

Personally, it made me feel more grateful than ever about what I already have in my life. It also made me realize that some things are out of my control, so I need to focus on what I can control and learn to let go of what I cannot.

Most importantly, I reconnected with my mission: to inspire and help others live healthy and meaningful lives. Thus, I launched this website www.mynewperfect.com. This was definitely one of the most meaningful things I did this year.

As we come closer to the end of this special year, I encourage you to take a few minutes to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year that will move you one step closer to your "perfect" life.

Here are some questions to get you started:

1. Reflect on your life in the past year, ask yourself & write it down:

🤔 What is one thing you accomplished that you are the most proud of?

🤔 What were some of your happiest moments?

🤔 What worked well and what did not go as planned?

🤔 What new habits did you build?

🤔 What did you learn about yourself?

2. Looking ahead into the New Year:

✨ What is one thing you wanted to do in the past year but did not get to?

✨ What do you want to keep doing that worked well in the past year?

✨ What would you like to improve on?

✨ What new skills do you want to learn?

✨ What new experiences do you want to have?

✨ What can you do next year to come closer to your "ideal" life?

3. Write down your top 3 goals.

After writing down answers to the questions above, write down three goals that you most want to attain that spark the most excitement in you and moves you closer to your ideal life.

4. For each goal, ask yourself: "Why do you want to achieve ________?"

For example, one of your goals may be to find a new job. Then ask yourself, "Why do you want to find a new job?" Your reason may be: "I want to earn more". Next, ask yourself based on your answer, "Why you do want to earn more money?". Then you may answer: "I would like to have enough money to buy a house". Then ask yourself yet again: "Why do you want to buy a house?". You answer: "Having my dream house has always been part of my ideal life".

Go through this exercise with each of your 3 goals. You will find that asking these "Why do you want to________?" questions will lead you to your vision of your "perfect" life.

After going though this exercise, you may find your answer does not align with your ideal life. For example, your answer to the question "Why do you want to buy a house?"might be: "Because getting a big house will make me look successful". This suggests your original goal of "getting a higher-paying job" does not lead you to your vision of your ideal life and it is time to modify your goal.

5. Set realistic mini-goals.

Once you have determined your top three goals for the new year that are aligned with achieving your ideal life, it is time to create an action plan with mini-goals.

For example, if your goal is to make it a regular habit to exercise, here are some small steps you can take to help you achieve this goal:

💡 Block workout time in your calendar (e.g. three 1 hour-sessions per week).

💡 Pick times that will realistically work for you. For example, I like to work out right before dinner, but others may prefer to workout the first thing in the morning. If you don't know what times work best for you, then try working out during different times of the day and during different days to see what works best for you!

💡 Pick the type of exercise that align with your goals. For example, if you want to lose weight, then try doing cardio (e.g. running, HIIT); if you want to become stronger, try weight-lifting; if you want to release tension in your muscles then stretching exercises or yoga is for you; if you don't have a specific goal in-mind and just want to move your body to keep fit and have fun doing it, then a dance-workout may be best! Nowadays, there are so many free YouTube workout videos that you can just do in the comfort of your home. One of my favorite go-to workout YouTube channel is Madfit. She makes videos of at home workouts for all fitness levels incorporating dance-based moves that makes it super interesting and fun!

💡 Make it easy for yourself to get started. For example, on the day you plan to exercise, have your gear out ready in the morning for your morning run or already be in your exercising gear during the day for your afternoon workout so you are just one step away from being in your workout clothes.

💡 Pick workout gear that sparks joy. Wear your favorite workout clothes, pick your favorite water bottle and plug-in your favorite music or podcast. These little things that spark joy will make you more motivated to workout.

💡 Finally, get an accountability buddy. Tell your partner or a close friend about your goal to exercise to hold yourself accountable. Even better, invite them to join you in your workouts over Zoom!

I hope this post has inspired you to reflect on your past year and set goals for the New Year that will move you closer to your version of your "perfect" life!

In the upcoming year, I will continue writing these posts and find new ways to help you move closer to your "perfect" life! Please don't hesitate to email me and provide any feedback (jytian188@gmail.com) about improving this site and any topics you would like me to write about!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! :)

Best,

Sarah

Take Action!

Follow the steps in this article to reflect on your past year and set realistic goals for the new year that will move you closer to living the life you've always wanted!

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