Having no hangover to start a new year is always a good thing, but then again I hardly drink, so that has never been an issue for me. As the new year begins and we reflect on the swift passage of 2023, it’s time to set our sights on 2024 and make the most of it before it slips away, leaving us with little time to fully experience its moments.
This morning, following a restful night sleep after enjoying a delightful New Year celebration with my family, I wasted no time getting into action. While many use January 1st as a day to unwind from the festivities of the night before, or even from the entire holiday season, I had a different agenda. My aim was to kickstart the year with determination, accomplish my goals early on, and establish a momentum for the rest of this young year. Here is what I did and I did all these before 3 PM (shortly before publishing this blog post)
- Journaling: I started the morning by journaling, including reviewing some notes from last year and what I wanted to accomplish for this year. I spent about an hour doing this, and wrote close to 5 pages of notes. This was an intentional brainstorming session, listing what I want to accomplish this year, how will I accomplish it, and how to tackle any obstacles. Doing this helps in two regards: it sends a clear message to your subconscious that journaling matters to you want want to continue doing it consistently. It is simply a integral part of my personal and professional development plan and it is not optional.
- Reading: I read for just over an hour, while I was on the treadmill. I read from 3 different books, spending about 15-20 mins on each. Reading while on the treadmill is part of my win-win strategy, which is something I often talk about on this blog. In 2023, I read about 11 books, 3 less than what I did in 2022, thanks to a busier schedule and other family commitments. In the new year, my aim is to do minimum of 1 book per month.
- Working Out: This marked the pinnacle of my daily activities. I engaged in what can be considered my most vigorous workout session yet on the treadmill I acquired and started using around 2.5 months ago. Clocking in at 1.10 hours, covering a distance of 5.75 kilometers, completing 15 laps, and burning just over 400 calories in the process, this session equated to a full-fledged hike along our local trails during the summer. Oh, and as mentioned, I did it while reading on my Kindle, meaning that I was tackling two tasks at once: the ultimate win-win!
We have all heard the saying: it is not how you start, but how you finish is what matters. And that is largely true. There is no point in doing what I did today, if I am going to botch it the rest of the year. But starting strong on the first day, week or month, helps in setting the tone for the rest of the year. The key is not whether you stick to your resolution, but whether you have built strong systems in place to take your resolution from your head reality and completion.
The day is still young, and I am sure I will do other things that are productive and help me start the year strong, but the above key actions were the most significant for me. Go ahead, do something meaningful today, and build momentum from that for the rest of the year. Oh, and this happens to be a leap year, so an extra day for you to work on your goals, projects and dreams.