My Intentional Self-improvement Plan for 2023.
It’s hard to believe 2023 is here already. It literally feels like 2022 didn’t even happen, and to be honest, for many reasons I wish it hadn’t. However, we can all go into the New Year with a different attitude despite the hardships and hurdles we experienced this past year. That is why I created a list of things to focus on in the New Year that I didn’t get to accomplish last year. It’s always wise to look for ways to better ourselves and to not look at the things we didn’t accomplish as a failure. Here are 8 ways I want to improve in 2023.
I’m not referring to these as my New Year’s resolutions simply because no one sticks to them. Instead, I’d like to try thinking of it as something more flexible. A list where I’m not pressuring myself to accomplish everything on it because we all know life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes. When you create your plan/list remember to give yourself some grace and don’t get too upset when things don’t go as planned.
Fitness and Flexibility
As usual, this first one is most people’s New Year’s goal, and for good reason. I don’t consider myself in bad shape, so this is more of a reevalution of my current fitness goals. I had a good start in January 2022 when I purchased my first gym membership. However, that kind of lagged towards the end of the year as it does for most of us. I didn’t even renew my membership in September. I had to remind myself to not feel too bad because the reason was out of my control as I was dealing with several health problems that prevented me from being active. So I realize I have to take things slower and not push myself too much when it comes to exercising. That may even mean I don’t get back in the gym right away.
Staying fit is not just for good looks, but it helps keep you in a good state of mind as well. Weekly yoga classes became a staple in my life when I first started college and I really miss those days. Not only did I become the most flexible I’d ever been in my life, but I also handled stress a lot better. I’d like to incorporate yoga and stretching back into my life as much as I can to return to that peaceful state of being.
More Time With God
I know I failed at attempting to spend time with God in 2022, so I feel this one needs the most attention. What I specifically want to work on is spending more time in prayer and reading my Bible daily. Sketching out time daily for God’s word was my intention, but somehow it didn’t happen and I spent the entire year in Exodus. I’ve just gotten past the crossing of the Red Sea, so I need to speed up the reading a bit this year. This is also a goal that I’m the most anxious about because it’s so easy to put everything else before God. This year He will be a non-negotiable in my life.
Good Attitude > Bad Attitude
As I dealt with several hardships and nuisances throughout 2022, I found it hard to keep a smile on my face. Just weeks ago I realized that I may have been dealing with a bit of depression as there seemed to be no end in sight to my bad luck. It really snuck up on me this time, and I don’t want to carry that into a new year and new season. In all honesty, I’m not the best sport when things aren’t going my way, so I really want to make an effort to change that. It may not get rid of my problems, but maybe it’ll help carry me through the new year a little better.
Chef Girlardee
Because of my recent health crises, it’s become harder to eat anything like I used to. A big part in what led to this was my terrible eating habits when I got into college. Subway and Moe’s everyday might just do that to your gut health. So I’ve decided to go back to the good ol’ days and cook meals at home as much as possible. This change as already been put in motion as I haven’t eaten out since before Thanksgiving. I’m hoping to continue this as best I can after the holidays when life returns to its normal chaos. Don’t get me wrong, when the bestie comes calling for a night out at our favorite restaurants I’m definitely going. However, all the other nights I’m putting my apron on!
No dating
In February of 2022 I asked myself if I could go the rest of the year without serial dating or engaging in talking stages with various people. I prayed on it and was feeling pretty hopeful I could do it when I was suddenly asked out on a date a couple of months later. I accepted and thought maybe I didn’t need to quit dating just yet. However, I was very wrong and it became clear (real quick) that I was indeed not ready to find another fish in the sea. Now that the year is starting over I’m ready to officially dedicate myself to this promise. It’s a lot easier to focus on yourself, your passions, and your goals when you don’t have the distraction of juggling multiple dating apps.
Balanced work-school-social life
When you come into adulthood one thing no one teaches you is good time management skills. This is something most people come to learn overtime and with experience. As a more seasoned adult, I think I’ve gotten better at handling all the different facets of my life. At least I imagine I can. Everyone gets thrown off the wagon a couple times throughout the year, but the key is getting back on as if you never fell. Plus, the 3 different planners I impulsively bought from Target should help.
Quality time with family and friends
During the pandemic it became less of a priority to spend time with family and friends since we had to avoid our loved ones for our safety. Despite the risk that still hangs in the air, I’d really like to get back to spending time with my siblings again and my extended family. I’ve already made a list of fun things to do with family members.
Due to the chaos of life and my illnesses I haven’t had time to hang out with my friends either. So cheers to hopefully more nights out, brunches, shopping hauls, and road trips!
Passive income avenues
One thing I actually love doing is growing my savings. I developed a plan when I started working to reach an annual goal. It took me a little longer to get there, but it’s one of the few things that I can say was completed successfully last year. To continue growing my savings I felt it would be helpful to have a hobby or small business that could contribute to that. I’ve already begun working on one idea that I wish I’d thought of sooner. No spoilers yet, but you guys will hopefully find out soon what that idea is!
No matter what you’ve got planned for the year of the rabbit, remember to not take yourself too seriously. Give yourself allowances and breaks when needed. If you don’t make it to all those yoga and Pilates classes or don’t hit your financial goal, remember it’s not the end of the world. Just re-evaluate, re-plan, and start again with a new mindset!
