5 Ways to Start the New Year Feeling Mentally Strong

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As the year comes to a close, it is easy to become discouraged if you didn’t complete some of the goals you set. Dwelling on these can make starting the new year with a positive outlook difficult.  While it is important to reflect on the successes of the year, it is also smart to set yourself up for success in the year to come. It is time to focus on starting the New Year feeling mentally strong.

5 Ways to Start the New Year Feeling Mentally Strong

1. Reflect but Don’t Dwell on the Negative

   It is important to look back at the year to determine what worked and what did not. It is also important not to dwell on goals not accomplished. A healthier approach is to determine why they were not met. Did you determine that it was a goal that wasn’t really important? Did you put real effort into completing the goal or were there obstacles in your way that kept you from being successful? Maybe you are still working on it and you will carry the goal into the next year. Whatever the reason, looking at it in a negative way is not productive and will only set you back.

2. Be Specific When Setting Goals for the New Year

   It is easy to say that you are going to go to the gym more but it really doesn’t explain how that is going to happen. This is why New Year’s Resolutions are rarely met with success. A real goal must have action items included such as the plan for achieving it, action items and deadlines. The more specific you are when making goals the more accountable you are for achieving them.

3. Focus on Character Building

   While losing weight and improving your health are great things, focusing on character building is just as important. For example, working on road rage, stopping cursing, doing random acts of kindness or volunteering are great ways to improve your character. Character building goals are a great way to build mental strength.

4. Be Nicer to Yourself

   Unfortunately, most of us are way too hard on ourselves. We set expectations high and beat ourselves up mentally when we fall short. One definite way to build mental strength is to be nicer to yourself. Take at least one night each week to focus on self care and making sure that you are not being your worst enemy.

5. Be Realistic

   When you set your goals, make sure that they are realistic. Don’t set yourself up to fail by setting unrealistic or unattainable goals. Setting a goal to take 6 college classes in a semester while working 2 full time jobs isn’t a realistic goal. Putting that much pressure on yourself will most likely end with complete mental and physical burn out. If you are more realistic, there is a greater chance that you will succeed without damaging your mental health in the process.

Conclusion

As the year comes to a close, it is time to evaluate the goals that we achieved or didn’t achieve for the current year. How we handle those successes and failures will determine how well we start the new year. It is important to start the New Year feeling mentally strong. Using these tips, your will start your year off in a positive way.

Does your Mental Health suffer during the holiday season?

Read Ways to Guard your Mental Health during the Holidays for some tips to help you through the season.