Hello 2024

Happy New Year beautiful people!! 2023 was incredible and I cannot wait to see what 2024 has in store. Go check out my Instagram to watch my 2023 recap, but for now onto 2024. I wanted to write a post about what I am hoping to embrace in the new year and how I am going to do that. I want to give you all ideas and possible inspire goals, motivation, etc. Know that every person is different and we all have different aspirations and needs. I want to get vulnerable with you all and if you are going to make change you need to get vulnerable with yourself. Only you can put in the work and do what needs to be done.

Some people love the new year and others hate it. I don’t think we have to feel any which way, but it brings opportunity, hope, and happiness. We can turn a new leaf any day, but this brings a worldwide reset and a chance to reflect and act on your reflections.

Goals are what allow me to be motivated and to grow and change. Reflection allows me to become the best version of myself by seeing what worked and what did not.

I think New Years can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be. We choose how we react. Let’s be excited and inspired to do better and be better. If you fell short last year or fall short this year, it isn’t failure but a chance to learn and should only fuel your fire even more.

To begin, when making my plan for the new year I reflect on my past year in a general reflection. I mind dumped a few things in my journal about my overall feelings. I had an incredible year full of new experiences. I graduated, traveled, went to college. So much change and I was extremely proud of how I handled it. I learned to accept failure as a motivator and not focus on perfection. I stepped out of my comfort zone and said yes even if it scared me. I then made my 2023 recap on Instagram reels. I love going through pictures of my past year because I forgot how much I did and how amazing the year was. It reminded me of everything I have overcome and how strong and capable I am. I saw photos of the hard times when I thought my life was ending and pictures a few days or weeks later when it all made sense. I lived life by “everything happens for a reason” and “what is meant to be will be.”

With my reflection, I divided my thoughts into 2 categories: what worked and what didn’t.

What worked:

• Traveled tons and enjoyed the present moment

• Loved my jobs and worked super hard

• Took leaps of faith and found beauty in the uncomfortable moments

• Loved my social life. I made amazing friends, I was spontaneous, I didn’t let my routine restrict my fun.

• Slayed school. I asked for help, I made connections, and I put in the work.

• Got so much stronger. I ate more, did awesome HIIT workouts, gained muscle, and pushed myself.

• Pretty good balance between school and social life, but need to work on adding in rest.

What didn’t:

• Didn’t trust my intuition as much as I know I need to and just kept pushing even when I knew I shouldn’t

• Burnt out. Too much emotional stress and anxiety for no reason. Not enough yoga and meditation. Too much focus on perfection. Said yes to too many things.

• SO MUCH WORRY

• Guilt. Constant worry that I wasn’t enough, I wasn’t doing enough, I should be doing more.

• No rest. Constant go go go which we all know how that ends.

• Trying to control things I can’t control

After I saw what worked and what didn’t, I decided my mantras for the year. Mantras are like little blurbs of inspiration that I want to channel for the new year. I choose some that summed up my goals.

Mantras:

• I am more than enough and I am doing enough

• I release control of what is not in my control

• Everything happens for a reason

• Everything is within me

• I am strong, I am capable, I am powerful, I can do this

• I will listen to mind, body, soul and create harmony

• I release comparison as I know what is best for me

• I enjoy the journey and where I am

• No judgement, just acceptance

• I am perfectly imperfect, do not strive for perfection, failure is a lesson

I also loved the 2024 Ins and Outs trend and wanted to throw that in here as well. This was a challenge for me because I think there is so much to say so this is certainly not the end of these lists but you get the point.

Ins:

• Knowing your power and being confident

• Listening to your intuition

• Meditation, yoga, and breath work

• Hyping other people up

• Patience with yourself and others

• Embracing imperfection

• Living for joy and for you

• Working out to feel good and get stronger

• Releasing comparison and worry

• Reflection

Outs:

• Judging yourself and others

• Too much control

• Guilt

• Worry

• Negative self talk

To add on to these lists I want to share some of my plan for the new year and how I am going to complete it.

Plans:

• Continue my early morning HIIT/Strength workouts to start the day on the right foot but…

  • at least 1 rest day

  • listen to my body and take care of it for it is a temple

  • have fun, listen to fun music and dance around, get hype

  • cherish my body and all that it can do, start my workouts with gratitude

  • 2-3 yoga classes per week

  • tons of walking

• Love to be busy, love my jobs, but…

  • set boundaries, it is ok to say no

  • take mental health days

  • reflect and listen

  • balance is golden

  • deep down I know what I need so listen

• Patience

  • with myself and others

  • life is not a race, I am not behind, slow down

  • embrace stillness

• Mindfulness and presence

  • be in the here and now and enjoy it for all that it is worth

  • everything has a purpose

  • I have the tools I need to succeed: breathing, quiet time, mediation, yoga

• Positive affirmations always

  • no slacking. start the morning right.

  • no negative self talk, be kind, love yourself, you are incredible

• Journal

  • 2-3 times per week

  • reflect, brain dump

***Wabi Sabi: there is beauty in imperfection!!!!

As always I love you all, Happy New Year

xoxo

Ella