Happy New Year! I can't believe it is 2023, it feels like the past 2 years have gone by so fast! For my first post of 2023, I wanted to talk about some habits I am starting and taking with me into the new year! I haven't ever really done resolutions, I think my problem is I set huge goals and don't make a plan on how to get them. I always just kinda wrote them down then put them in a drawer, never to think about them again... This year I actually started a book on setting and getting goals the right way. It is Goal Getters: 5 Steps to Finally Getting What You Want, by Nicole Crank, and WOW has it made a huge difference, especially in learning to be more humble and patient with myself with setting the right kind of goals and planning the steps to get to the end. I can totally recommend this book to EVERYONE no matter what kind of goals you want to set this book is amazing. You can order it on amazon and it is also on Audible, I'll link it at the bottom of this post! Now into the habits that I want to bring into the new year. I sorted these habits into 3 topics; health, skincare, and style. These habits are things I can bring into my daily routine or also just things I want to try to do more of and be more aware of! Not everyone needs new habits though, these are just some things I have written down for myself and anyone can take on if they feel like it!!
Health Habits
Going into the new year I am still guilty of buying a sugary soda every chance I get! and while I don't think it's bad to have a coke or dr. pepper now and then, I want to try and cut back on the amount of soda I am drinking this year! I want to continue to take exercise seriously and prioritize moving every day. Even if it's just a 30-minute walk and 20 minutes of pilates. It is important for me that I take the time to move every day, especially when I am sitting all day in university classes. I also want to work on limiting my screen time more. I definitely can get lost scrolling on TikTok or Instagram a lot, and while sometimes there are some fun inspiring things on there, the screen light is just starting to hurt my eyes. I definitely want to get a hold of this before it starts to hurt my sleep schedule! The last health habit I wrote down for 2023 is eating 80/20. Healthy eating is super important to me, and I want to continue this. I think having a healthy balanced diet makes a huge difference in daily life. And as a university student, it isn't always easy to eat healthily, but if I meal plan and pre-make my meals I will be able to continue eating healthy this year! Something I have found super helpful with meal planning is PlanToEat, an online website/calendar you can use to plan out your meals! It is such a cool idea and extremely helpful! But if you don't want to have to pay to the online platform using your own calendar to write down what you'll cook when, creating one grocery list, and preparing it the weekend before is just as good!!!
Skincare Habits
Skincare is soooo important to me! This year I want to keep taking my skincare routine, morning and night, seriously. I think for many people it becomes a ritual, which allows you to enjoy the winding down or waking up slowly and peacefully! Maybe I can start making tea at night to enjoy while I wash and prep my face. Next is SPF. I think we have all seen this year the hype about applying sunscreen and all its benefits. And while I am usually pretty good about applying it, if it's darker or foggy outside sometimes I do slack a little. I want to be more diligent with SPF. I have found some really good ones that I use and trust on my sensitive skin, I tend to kinda switch them out depending on the day and the weather but usually, the EltaMD, Zo Skin Health, and Skin Ceuticals are all very safe options. Another extremely important habit I want to take on this year is washing my pillowcases! I recently invested in some silk pillowcases, they are super gentle on the skin and anti-aging, I do still think soft organic cotton can also work just as well. Pillowcases can have a build-up of dirt, sweat, and oils just from using them daily. So I want to try and wash my pillowcases every 3rd day, but this could be more often too depending on when I do laundry :) Going along with pillowcases, a sleep schedule is also so important. For my mental and physical health getting enough sleep and going to sleep at a decent time will affect my day, and will show on my skin. I try to be in bed by 10 so I can have around 7 hours of sleep, although my goal would be 8, it's not always easy as a university student. Patience is key :)
Style Habits
For this last section, I decided to add some style habits for the new year! The first thing is cleaning out my closet! This isn't so much a daily or weekly habit but every other month or so I want to edit and declutter my wardrobe more! Just keeping track of what I do and don't wear. What I can resell or donate, and just now what I actually need vs. what I want. I have also noticed I like to buy things that are fun and different, but sometimes that means I don't always know what to wear the pieces with or when to wear them. So I want to invest in more staples for my closet. I love the fun pieces that I have but I want to have and keep a balance in my closet too. I also want to get some more dressy pieces! I have a lot of chill or fun outfits but going to a business University in Switzerland I have realized people take business attire very seriously... haha! But so I just want to have more day dresses, blazers, and nicer tops. And lastly, I want to work on reading labels more! When I was studying fashion design I was super good at this but I became so picky with what I was buying to wear I could hardly shop! But I haven't done that too much and haven't done much shopping in general recently, but If I can read the labels again and continue to be conscious as to where I am shopping I will be able to find some cute pieces that will last and can be better for the environment, hopefully! Maybe along with that, one last habit could be shopping locally and supporting small businesses. I struggle a little with that in Switzerland because the small, local businesses are the most expensive ones! But when I am back in Arizona I shop soooo much at Muse! A little boutique in Phoenix, and my absolute favorite place to buy my clothes!!!
So, those were my habits and some small milestones I want to reach in the new year! Remember everyone is different, not everyone needs to worry about restarting or writing down a bunch resolutions every year! You can focus on your own small milestones or successes you want to achieve each month. Sometimes writing a goal for an entire year makes you think you need to come up with something huge but it doesn't need to be! If you are interested in the book I mentioned at the beginning you can find it here!
xo, Noa