Dear readers, I hope you are relishing the beauty of winter and embracing the joy of this festive season! December fills me with happiness and enthusiasm because it’s a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past and envision the bright possibilities of the upcoming year. In this article, I’m thrilled to share some exciting ideas for New Year planning. So grab your favorite warm drink and dive into this inspiring read!

-A Jar of Gratefulness

Last year, inspired by something I can’t quite recall (I think I saw it somewhere online, but unfortunately I can’t remember the exact source), I decided to take a moment each day to jot down what I was grateful for on a simple piece of paper. These reflections included little joys, like the comforting aroma of my coffee or the delightful festival my boyfriend and I attended together. This practice has seamlessly woven itself into my evening routine, each note carefully stored in a jar. Now, as I look forward to 2024, I have this jar filled with moments of gratitude that I plan to read on January 1st. I know that revisiting these memories will bring a wave of joy and warmth, filling my heart with happiness, just as the act of writing them down has done each day.

It truly helped me to close out the day with a sense of positivity, and I feel genuinely excited to reflect on the moments that brought me joy as we approach the end of the year. I wanted to extend this heartfelt suggestion to you, so perhaps in the coming year, you might consider trying it too. It’s a simple yet profound act; taking a moment each day to jot down what you’re thankful for can really foster a sense of happiness in the year ahead.

-Vision Board

And a beloved tradition to welcome the new year: creating a vision board! For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to craft vision boards at the start of each year. It truly warms my heart to envision my upcoming year through a collection of vibrant pictures and inspiring quotes I find on Pinterest. The process feels wonderfully therapeutic, allowing me to express my hopes and dreams. I carefully choose a few images that capture my aspirations for the future, and then I bring them together on Canva to form a beautiful wallpaper. This wallpaper graces my computer, iPad, and phone, serving as a daily reminder of the values and goals I hold dear. I wholeheartedly encourage you to engage in this enjoyable and creative practice for the new year; it has made such a positive impact on my life over the past few years.

-Theme of the Year

The next activity I genuinely cherish as the new year approaches is creating a meaningful theme for the year ahead. This theme embodies a simple word or phrase that reflects my values, beliefs, plans, and aspirations for the coming year. For instance, my theme for 2024 was Love. Everything I aimed to accomplish and the emotions I wanted to embrace throughout this year revolved around Love, and I made it a point to remind myself of this theme daily. I find that setting this theme as the new year draws near, with a comforting cup of tea, a softly lit candle, and some soothing background music, becomes a heartwarming ritual I look forward to each year. By centering my life around this theme, I’ve found it helps me stay true to my core values. Spoiler: My new theme for 2025 will be Joy 🙂

I think this is going to be the last post of 2024. I know that I didn’t post quite regularly this year, but I have found amazing blogs through my reader’s websites – yes, I read your blogs too 🙂 – and I had quite some fun writing and editing this blog. I am slowly moving away from my regular weekly curations to sharing different content on our journey to meaning. You can expect to see posts about learning, spreading kindness, well-being, and lifestyle next year. And with that note, I hope you have an amazing week and an amazing next year!