11 Things You Should Do to Start The New Year Right

Here are 11 simple things you can do to get the new year started off with a bang. If you read this and come up with more, write them down, suggest them in the comments and by all means, do them yourself. 2010 has just begun, but it will be over before you know it, so why not make it your best year ever, and get it started the right way.

1. Clean House - Do you really need that old Tupperware? How many junk drawers do you have? clear them out and make them empty drawers, don’t fill them back up with more junk. If you have an empty drawer, let it be empty.

2. Follow a diet for 3 weeks – Even if you don’t struggle with your weight, follow a serious healthy eating plan for the next 3 weeks and then see how you feel. Chances are you’ll have more energy and be more productive and focused every day.

3. Follow an exercise plan for the next 3 weeks – Again, you may be fit or happy with your weight, but regular exercise can do more than just improve your looks, it can increase energy, mental functioning and increase overall happiness and contentment.

4. Write a list of all the goals you want to achieve this year – Create an action plan and post this where you will read it every day. Do just that. Read it every morning and night and stay focused.

5. Detox from Caffeine and other stimulants for at least 1 week – As many of you know, this is one of my favorite crutches. I love coffee, and I love to just sit and sip a cup at different times during the day. This is one of my greatest challenges, but I still detox for at least 7-10 days every year and see how I feel. Eventually I go back to drinking coffee because I love the taste.

6. Change Your Hair – You don’t have to opt for a new look if you don’t want to, but even getting a trim will give you the feeling of a new fresh start, and what better time to feel like a new you than the beginning of the new year.

7. Get rid of old clothes that you don’t wear – If you only wore them once last year, get rid of them.

8. Overcome One Fear – Last year I went in fresh water that I couldn’t see the bottom of. I am still terribly afraid of lakes and rivers, just the thought of being on a lake makes me sick to my stomach. I am a good swimmer, so this is just an irrational fear. I faced it by jumping into a pool in a stream. It was approximately 20 feet deep and scared me half to drowning. I breathed in more water than I should have, but I did it. Now I know I can. What fear will you face this year?

9. Go Somewhere New This Year - even if you just go somewhere new in your city, go there and enjoy the newness of it. If you have always dreamed of visiting France, make it happen this year .

10. Stop complaining for 21 days – This is a hard one. Keep a reminder and don’t complain, especially verbally about anything. If there is no action plan following the stating of a problem, then you are just whining. Quit being a baby and look for the good things in life, if you don’t like something, either accept it, or change it.

11. Start a Gratitude Experiment - For the Next 30 days, write down 3 things you are grateful for every night before bed. It may sound lame or silly, but the results will astound you.

These 11 things will help you get a fresh start and get focused for the new year. Some are simple and some are very very difficult (like no complaining) but following them and trying each one will break you out of old habits and get you started with new ones this year.

You will only live through 2010 once, why not make it your best year ever?

Happy New Year,

Ryan M Hall

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!