A new year is beginning and you’d like to get off to a good start. You’d like to have the best year ever, but you don’t know how. Here are 5 tips to get the year off to a good start.

1 – End last year on a high note

To get the year off to a good start, it’s essential to finish last year well. But how?

It’s all about taking stock of your year. In other words, to look back on the last 365 days with curiosity and kindness.

What have we lived through, and what have we learned from it all?

Because, in life, the most important thing is not what happens to us, but what we do with what happens to us.

That’s why we’re not going to take stock of our performances or our successes, but rather of our inner changes.

So, to take stock of your year, here are 10 essential questions to ask yourself:

What were the 5 best moments of the year?
I’m really glad it’s over. What’s it all about?
How am I different today from the person I was 365 days ago?
Have I achieved something that I forgot to celebrate?
What have my eyes been opened to?
Who do I want to thank this year?
What have I tolerated for a long time, but no longer want in my life?
What beliefs or opinions have I abandoned?
What was really difficult, but ultimately made me grow?
If I could go back in time, what would I say to the me I was a year ago?
Take all the time you need to answer these questions. Savor the moment, make it magical. Prepare a hot drink, some sweets, put on some soft music, burn a stick of incense…

I wholeheartedly invite you to do this year-end review, because it will help you see things more clearly and give you the boost you need to start the new year on the right foot.

2 – Take stock of your habits to get the year off to a good start

Now that you’ve taken stock of the past year, it’s time to get your year off to a good start by taking stock of your habits.

Happiness doesn’t just fall from the sky, it can’t be expected. In fact, happiness is an action based on daily habits.

So, what do you do on a daily basis to be happy?

And what do you do on a daily basis to gain self-confidence, manage your emotions, calm your stress, take care of your physical and mental health…?

Because it’s essential to know what you do on a daily basis if you want to lead a life you really enjoy.

That’s why, to get your year off to a good start, take stock of your habits.

What did you do before to create a happy daily life?

And what would you like to do from now on to continue creating a happy daily routine?

Then you can look at your bad habits.

What bad habits do you have on a daily basis that prevent you from being fully happy in your life?

And what bad habits would you like to eliminate from your life, and how?

This is an essential point to get your year off to a good start, because your happiness really depends on your daily habits.

3 – Take stock of your projects, dreams and goals to get your year off to a good start.

To be fully happy in your life, it’s essential to have a sense of progress.

Because the purpose of life is to learn, grow and evolve.

That’s why we feel so bad when we feel like we’re treading water.

In other words, I wholeheartedly invite you to take stock of your projects, your dreams and your goals to start the year off right.

To do so, ask yourself:

What’s really important to me? What do I want? What do I dream of?

Finally, I invite you to do a little visualization exercise that I love: imagine meeting your self in a year’s time, and what would you like him/her to tell you about your year?

The point here is not to put pressure on yourself, but rather to allow yourself to dream and choose enthusiasm and hope over fear and doubt.

I wholeheartedly invite you to take stock of what you want to do this year, as it will help fuel your motivation at the start of the new year.

4 – Make your gratitude list to start the year off right

Gratitude is an essential habit if you want to be fully happy in your life. In fact, gratitude is a real happiness magnet.

Because the more we say “thank you”, the more we see and receive other reasons to say “thank you”. It’s a virtuous circle.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to start the year off right by making your gratitude list.

It’s not a question of listing 3 reasons, but at least 30.

Because the aim is to find all the gratitude it’s possible to feel.

In fact, we don’t realize it on a day-to-day basis, as we’re too caught up in our mind’s negative discourse, but we have hundreds of reasons to rejoice in being alive, right now.

That’s why I wholeheartedly invite you to do this exercise: list at least 30 reasons to feel gratitude. Have fun!

5 – Want to…

When we talk about getting the year off to a good start, we often talk about good resolutions.

And, as it turns out, it’s always the same thing: getting back into sport, taking up yoga or meditation, being nicer to others…

The same resolutions that we repeat year after year, with all their attendant guilt.

Because we believe that’s what we should be doing.

In fact, we’re not alive to do what we should do. We’re alive to do what we want to do.

But we haven’t learned to follow our desires, we’ve learned to follow “I must” and “I must”.

What if this year was different?

What if this year, you became truly happy in your life?

It’s possible! And it all starts with resolutions that begin with “I want to…” or “I choose to…”.

I’ve had the same resolution for 5 years now: “I want to be happy this year.”

And, I’ve never been happier in my life.

Because I don’t do sport because I have to do sport. I do sport because I want to do it. Can you see the difference?

I meditate because I choose to, not because I have to.

All this can be learned. Give yourself time. I’ll be happy to accompany you on your way.

Find out more:

I invite you to read these 2 complementary articles:

Discover How do you learn to love yourself? 20 magic phrases for loving yourself
Discover How to end the year on a high note: 10 to-do lists

I recommend this inspiring book:

The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

In The 12 Week Year, Moran and Lennington challenge the traditional approach to setting annual goals, advocating a condensed 12-week period for greater focus and effectiveness. This book offers a systematic approach to getting the year off to a good start by breaking down annual objectives into manageable short-term goals. It emphasizes the importance of consistent execution, accountability and creating a sense of urgency to maximize productivity. It proposes a strategy for transformation, enabling individuals and organizations to realize their aspirations through a more impactful and dynamic approach to planning and execution.

It was an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed and learned from. I’ve already bought three copies to give to friends and family. Very clear and direct.

Thank you very much for reading this article.

If you liked it, let me know in the comments.

Take care of yourself