It’s the end of 2022. And we made it. It’s been a *really* long year. Prices have been rising, we’ve had several national disasters, and everyone’s still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. So really, it’s been a long year on top of 2 other really long years. Everyone is tired.
That tiredness means that it’s a good time to think about next year, though. As we creep towards the end of 2022, you can be proactive and think about what you want out of the next year. Having a plan and understanding your values will help you create success for yourself in 2023.
Here are some tips on how to wrap up 2022, learn from this year, and set yourself up for success in 2023.
1. Reflect on your accomplishments—and your struggles:
What went well this year? What were your challenges? Don’t just think of these in the context of physical accomplishments like getting a promotion or buying a house. Think of the smaller things. Did you reconnect with an old friend? Were you able to get out of a toxic situation, or keep your temper better during an argument?
Apply this to the negatives too. Many people suffered illness, financial problems, extreme stress, and many other issues this year. What challenges did you overcome, and which are you still working on. You perhaps let work stress impact your relationship with your family. You might have lost a friend. This might have been the year you made some really bad choices. Our time is made up of good and bad events; they all feel different, but they all shape us. So take time to reflect on everything. Decide what you’ve learned. Decide what you’d like to keep going and what you’d like to change.
You don’t have to change everything about your life in one fell swoop; just make sure you are doing what you can to move towards the kind of person you want to be. Gather in what you want, and start working on letting some of the bad things go so they don’t weigh you down in 2023.
2. Set Meaningful Goals:
First, if setting goals or resolutions for 2023 feels like a chore for YOU, then just… don’t do it. Goal setting is supposed to motivate and inspire you for the next year. If it feels like you’re filling out new-year tax reports, it’s just not worth it.
And if you want to set goals but you’re dreading the process, your mind is probably telling you to stop trying to do something that’s not right for you. Instead, Focus on making sure that the goals you set are fulfilling and that they make you excited and prepared to face the year ahead.
3. Care For Yourself During The Transition:
Taking care of yourself is important all year. But the end of the year is full of stressful holidays and personal reflections that can be painful. Most of us will end up looking over our year and feeling some kind of pain or hurt. And even if that doesn’t happen, we’ve learned to fear the unknowns of 2023. This makes it particularly important to care for ourselves.
Take time to yourself if you need to emotionally recover from whatever happened to you this year. Remember the things you’re grateful for about the last year. Get good sleep. Find support if you need it. Sort out the daily parts of your life so you can start 2023 unburdened by minor but annoying tasks. Do whatever you can to move into next year feeling as refreshed and energized as possible. And be kind and gentle with yourself.
4. Give yourself grace:
This is arguably the most important suggestion on this list. You might have made a lot of mistakes or dropped a lot of balls this year. It’s hard to look back on those things. And it’s easy to carry that blame into the next year. But extend yourself the kindness of self-compassion and come into this new season having forgiven yourself. This way you can try again, without the burden of shame weighing you down.
You did your best. Say that to yourself. We know you did your best, to.
If you’d like to make therapy a part of your end-of-year self-care, or if starting it is one of your goals for 2023, our staff at Marble Wellness would love to support you. We have a team of therapists who work with clients on stress, depression, anxiety, and many other issues. No one knows if next year will be good or if it will be another tough one. But it’s easier to navigate the good and the bad times if you have someone in your corner.
If you’d like to have this, reach out to Marble Wellness on our website and we will connect you with someone who will walk alongside you as you start your next chapter.
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