Every year on this day, a burning excitement flutters awake. There is something about a whole new year ahead that is so fresh and inspiring. Just imagine it! A whole new year ahead like new fallen snow. No one knows what this year will bring … and that is the wonder of it. There are adventures to be experienced, abundant blessings to be rejoiced in, dreams waiting to be discovered.
These are the days that we get out our planners and our highlighters and our journals and begin to create aspirations for our life. We organize. We dream. We plan.
Wherever you were, wherever you are, today you can start anew. It’s a delicious time of year for that very reason. Here’s how to make the most of it.
1. Press pause for a minute: On the first day of January, exactly one year ago, where were you? What page were you writing in the story of your life? Now travel on through that road of memory. Think about all the people you’ve been, the places you’ve gone, the moments that made you who you are today. I bet you never could have imagined what that year would bring. And here you are, all the richer for it. Face that old year and bid it farewell with peace in your heart. No matter where you are in life – whether you are in college or designing your dream life or trying to figure out where you belong – know that 2018 is a clean canvas. It is waiting to be your best year yet, if you only let it.
2. Remember the little moments: This year, buy yourself a beautiful journal and start to write in it every day. Make it a habit to sit down every night and write out a few sentences about your day. Most of our memories won’t last us very long. If I don’t write things down, I forget. None of us want to forget these little moments that are shaping our lives. Tell a story about something that happened to you. Write out how you feel … the good feelings and the bad. Describe how a friend made you laugh until you couldn’t breathe. Create a list of all the things that make your heart feel full. Then in the weeks and months and years to come, you can look back and realize what a wonderful life you have been living.
3. Dream big: If you’re anything like me, you love to make lists and charts and pinterest boards full of inspiring goals for the new year ahead. If you were waiting for permission, here it is! Pull out your piles of pretty notebooks, your highlights, your planner, your journals. Start dreaming. In the words of Julia Cameron, “What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do.” Dig up those forgotten dreams and find a way to work towards them this year. Make it happen!
As we enter this brand new year, I hope you look for the good in every moment. This new year marks the opening of a new chapter for you, my friend. Live it with all you’ve got.
<3 Olivia Grace
