How to make 2023 your year

How was your 2022? Amazing? Awful? Now that 2023’s in full swing, you’ve probably started reflecting on the year just gone and began planning on how to make 2023 as cracking as can be. 

But figuring out how to make an entire year amazing isn’t an easy task. Between the New Year’s resolutions, goals, and all the negativity you plan on cutting out, it can be intense. It’s no wonder 43% of people expect to fail their New Year's resolutions before February. 

But you don’t have to tackle the new year alone. We’re going to help you put together a solid plan because, y’know, fail to prepare, prepare to fail! With our tips, you can easily plan out a killer 2023 and stick to it. So let’s get straight into it. 

Think about what you want and don’t want from 2023

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Keep it simple. What do you want from the year? What will make 2023 good and what will make it bad? It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, simpler might be better. Think about each area of your life that’ll affect your overall happiness and wellbeing, like work, hobbies, your personal life, etc. So maybe you want a promotion, to get better at playing the guitar, and go out more often. Simple.  

Question your goals before you start 

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Many people choose goals like “read more”, which seems great on the surface, but why “read more”? Your goal is to live life to the fullest - if you don’t want to read, you don’t want to. A better goal may be “fall in love with a new book” because reading's not a race, it's for enjoyment. The same goes for goals like “go to the gym every day”. Instead, it might be a better idea to focus on having fun while getting fitter. When you enjoy something, you’re already succeeding at improving your year and you’re a lot more likely to stick to it.

Keep your goals realistic and easy to measure, and ensure they’re not going to make you miserable. It’s all about having an unreal 2023! 

Make a plan

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From here, plan out how to achieve your goals. If, for example, going to more events will improve your year, start planning which events you want to go to and plan how you'll save money so you can make this a reality. If, for example, you’re worried you’ll go back to that horrible ex, ensure you have a helpful, honest friend to lean on if you end up considering it. 

But also bear in mind there are some things we can't control. So it’s vital to remember throughout the year that it’s more about the way we handle negative experiences than avoiding them entirely. Sometimes shit happens.

Organisation is key

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Tip: get a calendar you can hang up on the wall and, for god's sake, keep it updated. It’s so easy to fall off track or be blindsided by commitments you forgot about. And a calendar can help with that. By ensuring you’re organised, you’ll be more likely to stay on track and achieve your goals. 

If you really can't organise yourself for the life of you, it’s time to fit it into your routine. When plans are made, whip your phone out and type it up in your notes. Then, at the same time every week, you’ll go through the notes and write them all down in the calendar. Force yourself to do this and you’ll always be 100% sure of what you’re up to at all times. 

Figure out what’s holding you back

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Okay, this isn’t always easy. So if you think you’ll struggle, enlist the help of a close mate. But if you can handle it yourself, it’s time to get brutally honest. Ask yourself what’s holding you back. 

Figure out what it is because now’s the time we’re going to do something about it. 

If you have a person who’s holding you back, it’s time to address it and try to overcome it or maybe even cut them out of your life. Whatever’s making your life more difficult, pin it (or them) down and come up with ideas to get control of or eliminate them. 

This may sound extreme, but if someone or something is constantly making your quality of life worse, your year (and other years to come) won’t be anywhere near as good as it can be.

Start small

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Okay, so that’s obviously quite a lot to digest. But the good news is, you’re not going to tackle all of that at once. If you try to tackle 50 things at once, to be blunt, you’ll likely fail at them all. It’s just too much. You’re only human. One at a time is the way to go for success and consistent motivation. A steady climb to success is much better than shooting up and then giving up or getting bored. So take it slow, do one thing at a time, and you’ll nail it!

Track your progress

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Whether your goals are complex and ambitious or simple like “have more fun”, track your progress. Write about experiences and/or goals you’ve achieved and read it back later, take pictures to help you remember, or download a habit-tracking app to see your progress at a glance. When tough days come along, going back and remembering exactly how you felt when you achieved something or came closer to having a great year will motivate you. 

Become besties with yourself

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Most of us are guilty of being mean to ourselves every now and then. Whether it’s “I’m shit at this” or “I look ugly in that”. Wherever your negativity comes from, we’re cutting it out. It can be hard to stop if you do it often, but it’s important to look out for number one. You deserve better. And no matter how many miles you run and how many vegetables you eat, you need to look after yourself mentally too. So try to cut yourself some slack. Even if it means lying to yourself for a bit - familiar with fake it ‘til you make it? Trust us, it’ll get easier over time. 

Consider coming up with a mindfulness routine 

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Continuing on from that last one, it might be a shout to come up with a mindfulness routine. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You could meditate, do yoga, do breathwork, write, play an instrument, exercise, stretch, mindfully drink a cup of tea, go for a walk - whatever helps you chill out and feel in control. 

A routine that works for you can help with stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep - all crucial ingredients for an unreal year. It's unlikely to do you any harm, so we reckon it's worth a go. You can always stop or change your routine if it’s not for you. 

Let’s not to get too bogged down in the details this year. We’ll all have a few not-so-great moments - that’s just life. So instead of trying to completely rid our lives of all things unpleasant, we should do what we can to reduce them but know to tackle those moments with a positive attitude and focus on the good stuff. 

Ready to get your year off to the best start possible? Click or tap here to discover countless incredible events near you and fill 2023 with thrills. 

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