3 Important Ways to Make Next Year the Best Yet

There’s something so intoxicating about the turn of the calendar into a new year. It’s a blank slate and a fresh start. A time to reflect on lessons learned in the past and make ambitious promises to yourself about the new year. How can you — any of us — really ensure not just a great year, but perhaps one of the best years ever? Focus on these three things now and in the new year.

The world is hectic. Scary. Overwhelming. We all need a place where we can retreat to so we can relax. Even if you’re not living in your “dream home,” you can still put work into making a home that recharges you. Carving out this spot of peace you can retreat to each and every evening is your first step to cultivating one of your best years ever. And it’s not as complicated as it might feel.

First of all, simplify your life at home. Get rid of what you don’t need. Do whatever you need to do to keep your home reasonably neat and clean most of the time (setting alarms on your phone, buying specialized tools that make your job easier, hiring help). Then make your home work for you and your goals. Want to be healthier and workout more? Only keep healthful food in the house and make your exercise gear visible and easier to get to. Want to stop watching so much television? Toss or make your television less of a focal point in your house.

Give yourself permission to do something special that will make your home aesthetically feel like a retreat, whatever that means to you. Whether that’s splurging on a rug you’ve had your eye on for months or taking a weekend off of social and family obligations to tackle a meaningful DIY project. And lastly, work on the next way in your home, too:

What would happen if you prioritized making connections with people in your life that matter to you? Listening better, putting the phone down, catching up more and getting lost in conversation? I haven’t quite mastered it myself, so I can’t say for sure. But based on the friends and family I know that excel at this, it would lead to a richer life. One where there’s a feeling of community and support. One where there’s more fun times and laughter. This is the kind of thing that has to be any list of making life better. There are a lot of ways to incorporate this into your life next year, but one way might be more entertaining at home.

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Not everyone has the money to gallivant around the world month after month. But world travel isn’t the only way to see the world (or at the very least, the world that’s close to you). Next year, commit to going on more microadventures. They don’t have to cost a lot. You don’t have to go far. (You don’t even have to sleep outside if you don’t want to). But if you do seek out more microadventures (perhaps while connecting with friends and loved ones) you might find that you’ve felt like you’ve seen a lot more.

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