2023 WHAT?!
Y’all, we are so close to Christmas and New Years Eve. And in a blink the ball will drop and the calendar will say 2023!! Wild.
I adore the new year. New Years Day is EASILY my favorite day of the year. As a lover of all fresh starts (Mondays and the first days of new months and even the start of a new hour in each day), I absolutely thrive on the fresh energy of New Years Day.Â
And (also) as a huge believer in journaling, positive mantras, and deciding my own destiny, I get giddy with excitement each year when I recap my previous year and make BIG goals and dreams for the year ahead.Â
Every single year I do some sort of journaling exercise on New Years Day. It helps me get really grounded and clear on what I want to prioritize in my life. Not that you can’t do that at any random day in the year! I definitely do check in throughout the year and re-balance my life, if necessary. But I think it’s fun to piggy back on the energy that literally THE ENTIRE WORLD is feeling on New Years Day as we all approach this fresh start.Â
5 Questions To Journal Out For Your Best 2023
1. How did your 2023 go?
 No, it’s not a typo! This is always how I start! Since my headspace is already looking back and recapping, I go ahead and do that super powerful exercise of writing a letter from my current self.Â
I write down exactly what I accomplished in 2023. I share the amazing goals I achieved, the joy I felt, the vacations I booked, the rest I received. I tell myself all of hte magic that 2023 brought to me.Â
And yes, I’m writing all of this in my journal on January 1, 2023…and the year hasn’t actually happened yet.Â
But by writing this letter to my present self from my future self, I find that I get my vibrational energy SO high and mighty that I’m even more inspired to go get my goals in 2023! I honestly do this journaling exercise multiple times a month!Â
2. When you look back at 2022, what memories make you feel happiest?
This is always an eye-opener for me.
We always think of the big, shiny things in life as the ultimate definer of happiness. And sometimes that’s true! I definitely think back to sitting on that beautiful hilly winery in Wilamette Valley with my 3 sisters and slowly sipping on Pinot Noir while enjoying hours of conversations as one of the happiest memories of 2022.Â
But when I think of when I truly felt happiest last year, I also think of snuggling on the couch and watching The Crown with Nate, hanging out on my driveway with neighbors while the kids ride their bikes up and down the street, some dark and early cozy mornings with Dayton when he was still an infant, and a few really fun Peloton rides.Â
The shiniest things don’t necessarily stick the most, and so this question helps me remember what I actually want to prioritize in 2023.Â
3. What’s something you said you’d DEFINITELY do in 2022…and it hasn’t happened yet?
Moment of truth here! Whether it’s a relationship goal, a personal goal, a fitness goal, or something else that’s totally random, is there something that you were definitely going to do in 2022 that just…didn’t happen?Â
I love journaling this out. It can be really interesting to dig deep and ask yourself whyyy it didn’t happen! No judgment here! It’s simply an exercise in curiosity.Â
I love to dig super deep and question my inner self…the part of myself that’s really honest and vulnerable and shares my true likes/dislikes. She alway tells me exactly why I didn’t do something that I know would actually be good for me.Â
4. What’s one lesson you learned in 2022?
Ah, one of my very favorite questions. I love taking lots of sweet time to ponder this and journal it out. You know how sometimes you’re aware that you’ve changed and evolved, but you’re not sure specifically how you’ve changed?Â
Me too.Â
And so I really like this question, because it makes me actually write it out and get very specific about the lessons I learned from the previous year.Â
5. List something (or a bunch of things!) that you did in 2022 that made you proud.
This is such a powerful exercise to journal at the start of the year.Â
Positive energy produces more positive energy, so I love to finish my morning of journaling with a feeling of accomplishment, pride, and excitement for the future.Â
List out all of the badass things you did in 2022! I know there are a bunch of them. What did you create, build, or grow? What habits did you change? What did you attempt? What negative people, things, or places did you resist?Â
There are undoubtedly many things you’ve done in the last 365 days that made your life bigger, better, and fuller. List them out and own them! YOU DID THAT.Â
A goal is a dream with a deadline.
I absolutely love the power of journaling, and I hope that you find some of these exercises helpful to you as we get ready to leave 2022 and enter 2023. Â
I’ll see you back here tomorrow, friends!
PS: my 12 monthly goals for 2022 and my 12 goals for 2021!
Can not believe the year is ending! Very insightful questions, will need to sit down with my journal and think about them. Happy Holidays!