New Year, Who Dis?

Whenever December rolls around, I always make a bold declaration that the upcoming year will be even more incredible than the last.  So far, I've done a pretty decent job at meeting my expectations.

How?

I place much of the credit to my annual end of the year ritual that sets me up for an amazing year ahead.
This ritual began around the time when I wanted to pursue a life of freedom.  I knew that I needed a plan. Part of that plan involved forgoing all vacation related travel so I could utilize the time to work on my secondary income.

Each year, I would set aside 2 weeks to focus on creation related activities.

Here's the thing, a lot of people use the end of the year to set new goals.  But setting goals wasn't enough.  Instead, I worked diligently to create a clear line of demarcation between the current year and the one ahead.  If I wanted the upcoming year to be better, I would do things now to encourage and promote a better year.

So when Jan 1, 201X arrived, I was well into the heart of the creation process.  I was vibrating at a different level than someone who set some haphazard wishes for the new year.

Some of the activities I would engage in during my time of creation included:

• Hiring web developers for website improvement projects or working on those projects myself.
• Working long days on my side business.  Most of us are part-time hustlers who only dedicate a few hours a day or week to our dream.  We don't get the experience real progress because of the limited amount of time dedicated towards its growth.  Time off during the holidays was (for me) a huge opportunity to put in a lot more focused time into building my dream.
• One year, I conducted an experiment where I hyperfocused on my self-care and beauty rituals.  That experience was life-changing and really opened my eyes to how life becomes different when you present the best version of yourself to the world. 

Most often, I dedicate the last couple of weeks of the year towards altering my external environment.  This typically means daily decluttering and making cosmetic changes to my interior. I altered my environment in order to create a new and different energy than what existed before. People who live in abundance tend to invest a bulk of their money into upgrading and updating their living space.  There's a reason for this.  The luxury environment adds to the feeling of abundance that fuels their reality.

Also, updating your space is the ultimate act of creation. You have a vision for your space then you bring it into reality. If you can master this on a small scale (your home) you can replicate it on a large scale (your life).  

This year, I want to try something new.  Since I just talked about the subject of being amazing, I want to dedicate the last week of the year towards operating as my ideal self.  I'll probably start the process by visualizing and verbalizing myself as who I want to be.  From there, I can identify what behaviors/attributes I would display then proceed to behave as my best self.  

Sometimes, these behaviors are unsustainable, other times, they transition into long-term habits.  The point is to EXPERIENCE what you want versus just talking about it.  Once you'd have the opportunity to experience life as you desire it, you always something to refer to.  Even though I don't always keep up with my self-care routine like I should, I know exactly what will happen if I put in the work.  

 Imagine having worked out and eaten healthy for two weeks come January 1 instead of just making a promise to yourself that you'll start tomorrow. Live your desired reality now!  By the time January hits, you'll already have a running start.

 Carrying a new energy into the year is absolutely critical.  I'm writing this article a couple weeks ahead of the new year for a reason.I want to give you enough time to think about what you will do with the next couple of weeks.  Yes, there's still some Christmas shopping to do and planning for the holidays. But if you dedicate a part of your energy towards prepping for the new year, your effort and intention might pay off in a big way.