January can be a dark, miserable, and very long month after the festive fun of Christmas. Some of us may have eaten too much, drunk too much, or spent too much (and maybe all three)?!
The start of the year can be pretty challenging sometimes. Many people experience financial hardships in January as many life of compulsory life expenses like rent, tuition fees, school fees, and other debts are completed from January.
If you’re looking to re-focus and make some changes to create a little more ease and a lot less stress, perhaps you might like to try some of the ideas I’m sharing here and 50 things to do in January to simplify your life.
Your finances
It’s the start of a whole new year so a great time to take stock of your current money situation. And, of course, you might have overspent a little at Christmas so it’s a good way to face up to any money issues and deal with them head-on.
Work out your income and expenditure per month and plan a monthly budget for the year that suits your lifestyle and financial situation. Aim to get rid of any debts and save where possible.
Your calendar
Think back over the year, look at your diary and assess where and how you spent your time. Was it on things that you wanted to do, or did you often wish for more free time without having to do anything or be anywhere?
Think about your plans for this year, be more international with your time intentional with your time and what you say yes to as you’ll be saying no to something else at the same time. Check out my simple productivity planner to help you stay focused, organised and on track over the coming year!
Set goals
Set yourself some goals for the coming year. They don’t have to be complicated or difficult. Baby steps towards bigger goals are just fine. Be ambitious but realistic and remember to be intentional about your goals – choose ones that really mean something to you and in your life. Write them down and hold yourself accountable to achieving them in a specific timescale.
Choose your word for the year
This is a fun little exercise which encourages you to reflect on what you hope this year will hold for you. I like to choose words that are inspiring, motivating, encouraging and give me scope for growth and change throughout the year. What will you choose as your word?
Give up something
This could be giving up alcohol for a dry January, a social media detox for the month or no clothes shopping for 30 days. The idea is not to make you go without but sometimes it’s good to try something new.
In this case it’s about reflecting on what supports you to be fully present for your life, or perhaps what’s just removing you from your life instead. It could be that drinking, scrolling or spending too much may not be supporting you in the best way possible.