Hello, 2023! I feel like the beginning of the year is an ideal time to invest in your happiness. It’s an opportunity to focus on what you love, what you would like to pursue and what you should let go. I’ve created a list of resolutions below that have inspired me over the past few years. You can try them out once or keep them in your routine all year long. I hope that 2023 brings you many wonderful new experiences!

1. Make a gratitude list for everything that you appreciated in the last year.

I have a tradition of making these lists every year and hiding them in a box for the end of December. It’s my own private time capsule where I can keep track of my progress and acknowledge all of the positive things that I have in my life. It always reminds me of what I was focusing on in the past and makes me think of new goals to achieve in the future.

2. Try out a new activity for the first time this year.

In 2022, I tried pickleball and online dance classes. It was awesome to learn and practice something new and exciting. This year, I’m thinking of trying out cooking or ceramics classes. January is the perfect time to think about anything that you have been wanting to try out. Ask someone to join you so you can experience the activity together.

3. Delve into a new type of self care.

We all need to relax and destress, and since there are so many different types of self care, why not try a new one out? You can put on a face mask, use a bath bomb or go to a restorative yoga class that you’ve never been to before. Find some time each week to enjoy a different type of self care or plan a night to do as many as you can think of at once! It sounds delightful.

4. Create a yoga practice with poses that you want to work on.

When I’m practicing Let It Go Yoga, I find that it’s hard to hold one side of Happy Baby without feeling a lot of pain. My personal goal is to see some improvement on this pose, so I’m creating a list of the yoga poses that I would love to work on in the upcoming year. I’m hoping to feel more open, balanced and improved when I create a personal practice that includes the specific postures that I would like to feel more confident in.

5. Meditate

I would love to meditate on a more regular basis, so I’m hoping to set a regular routine going forward. I want to start by dedicating 15 minutes a day to meditation and hoping that I spend more time once I make it a habit. Here’s hoping that I am enlightened by 2024!

6. Read

I love discovering new books, but last year I took a 48 week break between two books that I really loved (I know it was 48 weeks because I keep track of every book that I finish. Remember how I said I love making lists?) I’m hoping to spend a few more nights reading from an exciting novel instead of scrolling through social media. It makes me happy to spend time reading, so I want to invest time and energy in doing what I love.

7. Let it go

Since it’s the beginning of the year, I like to look back at all the items that I’ve accumulated and see if there’s anything in my closet that I can let go. Creating order in my house makes me feel revitalized for the new year. While I’m cleaning out my drawers, I will look over the rest of the integrity checklist and see what else I can accomplish to stay in integrity. It feels good to organize, give things away and let things go!

8. Find activities that get you out of your head

If I find myself getting stressed over a situation that I cannot control, I like to focus on something else for awhile and come back to the problem with a fresh perspective. I love to listen to podcasts, play a game or see a movie in order to clear my head and calm myself down. Even if you’re not stressed about something in particular, it’s good to keep a mental note of the activities that leave you feeling refreshed.

9. Keep working on what you’re really good at

I always strive to keep working on what makes happy, even if I don’t get paid to do it. I love planning trips, writing jokes, putting puzzles together and editing videos. Spending time on my hobbies is another way that I can indulge in self care. Plus I get better at them every time I try!

Hope you have a very happy New Year!
Contributed by Emily Parsons, Certified Let It Go Yoga teacher

Want to know more about Let It Go Yoga? Start here with our Diaphragmatic Breathing Video!