13 Things You Should Do At The Start Of Each Year

I'm a huge believer in working to a plan.
When I look back across my life to the times when things have been going really, really well, when I have been achieving big career success and life is just fantastic, to a fault each of these spells was during a time that I was working a plan, had goals written out, knew what I wanted next. It's like having a road map in hand and if you just follow the map you get to where you want to be.
Conversely the times when nothing much is going on, when I feel like I'm floundering around, trying to find my way, are always the times when I don't have a plan written out.
So as we kick off this brand new year here is a list of things that you should do every year

image source: Rebloggy.com

1. Make A List Of The Bad Things

Sounds counter productive right? But trust me, it isn't.
Look back at the year that just ended and make a list of the things that stressed you halfway out of your mind, the things that made you nervous, the things that scared or overwhelmed you. Then write down how you won the battle, what the outcome was, how you feel about it now.
We don't always realize at the front end just how incredibly strong, resilient and fierce we really are. Looking back you'll find things that terrified you are no longer scary, things you stressed over weren't worth the energy, and you will see that you have some major coping skills you never even knew you had!
It puts the new year into perspective and gives you a little ammunition to face the inevitable bumps in the road with.

2. Stop Holding Onto Heartache

One of the most destructive things we do is to keep holding onto the relationships that failed. If your heart got broken last year, or if you were let down terribly by someone (it happens to everyone at some point in life), write yourself a letter either forgiving that person, or committing yourself to just letting it go. 
When you hold on to it, relive it, think about it, stay angry or hurt, the only person who suffers is you. That type of thinking is toxic and permeates into the rest of your life. Let it go and move on. If that person comes into your thoughts just send them love and light and close the door on it.
Once you have some distance from the relationship or the issue you will look back and see that holding onto it was a total waste of time anyway.
And if it still really hurts remember ~ This too shall pass ~

3. Set Goals

Whatever it is you want in life, write it down as a goal.
Make financial goals both for the short term and the long term.
Set career goals, relationship goals, travel goals, goals for your home, your car - you name it. The key to success and to achieving the things you want in life is to identify them, get specific, ad then start figuring out a plan to make them happen.
Not sure how to do it? Check out this post on How To Set Goals

4. Make A Budget

The key not just to financial security, but to just making it to the end of the month or the end of the year, is to make a budget that accounts for every dollar you earn and where it is going.
Want to travel? Buy a new car? Put in a swimming pool? Whatever it is that you want, add it to your budget and watch how quickly you can make it happen! 
Not sure how to create a budget? Read this post on How To Make A Budget.

5. Clear The Clutter.

Go through your home and your work-space and clear out all the clutter. You will be amazed at how clearly you can think, how much more relaxed you become when all the clutter is cleared away. According to the art of Feng Shui clutter has a negative effect on us emotionally, physically and mentally.
Read about the absolute magic in simplifying, organizing and clearing your space in Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo's  world famous book:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

6. Clean Out Your Closet.

This ties in with number 5, but is also important on its own.
You will no doubt find great pieces you forgot you had, and in the process can streamline your wardrobe.
You already know what needs to go. Donate and consign everything you need to part with.

7. Clean Out Your Makeup Drawer.

image via www.avantderm.com

Take everything out, clean it, and decide what is still good and what needs to be trashed.
Not sure if your makeup has gone bad? Check out this post:
How To Tell If Your Makeup Has Gone Bad

8. Buy New Underwear.

Go through your lingerie drawer and toss anything that's no longer in tip top shape. Any undies that have bad elastic, saggy bottoms, frayed edges, have faded color, don't fit quite right, especially your every day items - get rid of them. I think it's a great idea to start the year with fresh, new, everyday underwear.
Try the beautiful Natori Bliss Bloom Thong

Natori's beautiful Bliss Bloom Thong is the perfect addition to your New Year Undies Collection 

9. Get Fitted For A Bra

At least once every year you should get refitted for a bra.
Sometimes you will find nothing has changed, other times, especially after weight loss or weight gain, changes in hormones, changes in exercise routines, you will find things really have changed.
Unless you want boobies that are saggy and limp and hang down to your belly button, you need to stay on top of how your bras fit.
(I can't stress this enough for full breasted / heavy breasted girls - we are fighting gravity more than all the other girls!)

10. Re -Evaluate Your Skincare Products

Its so easy to just stick with what you've been using for ages, and not realize that its no longer working any magic on your skin.
Your skin's needs changes with the climate, with your age, with your changing hormones. If you want luminous, glowing, healthy skin you need to change up the products you're using to meet your skin's needs.
I'm in love with Korean skin care and the way the Korean women with their world famous, exquisite skin, layer their products. You can read about it here: West Face East ~ How To Layer Your Skin Care Korean-Style
I buy all my Korean skin care products online through Memebox
, one of the world's largest skin care stores.

11. Rearrange Your Space

image via Adorable-Home.com

Changing the layout of the rooms you spend the most time in changes how you perceive that space. Sometimes it's all you need to feel refreshed and invigorated and inspired.
And if you don't like it, you can always change it back.
I just love white, Scandinavian style bedrooms.

12. Book A Trip.

You need to at least plan some travel for the year ahead. 
Maybe it's a big overseas trip, maybe it's a long weekend. Plan a beach vacation, a mountain retreat, or an escape to a new city. Whatever fits your style, just get it on the calendar. 
If you don't plan it out at the beginning of the year, chances are another year will roll by and you will have gone nowhere.

I book my travel both domestic and international, using Booking.com

13. Buy A Really Great Pair Of Shoes

Sometimes this means forecasting it to the season where you really need them, but try buying a pair of really good quality, timeless, walk-around-all-day-and-still-feel-great shoes. Shoes that go with everything, that look chic, and make you feel fabulous.
They will set you back a little (or a lot) more, but a really good shoe is a great investment in yourself.

Prada Wingtip Oxford Loafer

I bought myself this Prada Wingtip Platform Loafer
 (in black though) for my birthday. I will wear them forever. You can find them at Nordstrom

10 Steps To Goal Setting

It feels like I haven't sat down to write in ages! Somewhere between a pre-Christmas trip back to Italy and then Christmas itself back in America again, the time has literally flown by!

So here we are again at the very end of the year, closing out what I hope has been a really wonderful 2015 for you, and prepping our way into what will be a huge 2016.

I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. They always feel so bogus - how many of us have cheated on our New Year's Resolved diet within the first month? (I'm not just raising my hand here, I'm standing on my chair waving both hands at you - I think I've diet cheated every January since puberty). But although I'm not a fan of the New Year's Resolution, I am an absolute advocate of creating a list of goals for the new year and using it as both the road map for the new year as well as a measuring stick to check back in with throughout the year.

If you want to achieve anything in life you have to set goals.
A goal has to be written down - until you commit your goal to paper it is merely a dream or a thought.
A goal that has been written down is a commitment to yourself.
As Zig Zigler said: ‘One person with a commitment is worth a hundred who only have an interest.’ 

No matter what your goal is, from losing weight, to saving money to going on an exotic vacation, it is achievable if you both plan and prepare for it. As you start planning your goals for the upcoming year check out these 10 steps to setting goals from Success.com

10 Steps To Setting Goals

1. Build a solid foundation.

Honesty, character, integrity, trust, love, loyalty. This foundation will give you an honest shot at reaching any goal you have properly set.

2. Make the commitment.

The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won't work—if you won't. As Mary Crowley said, "One person with a commitment is worth a hundred who only have an interest."

3. Break it down.

Break down your intermediate and long-range goals into increments.

4. See it.

If you want to reach a goal, you must “see the reaching” in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal. In your imagination, see yourself receiving that diploma, getting that job or promotion, making that speech, moving into your dream home, achieving that weight-loss goal…

5. Hold yourself accountable.

Daily discipline is the key to reaching your goals. Record your progress toward your goals every night, and list the six most important things you need to do the next day.

6. Expect change.

Make a decision to move toward a goal carefully—but be willing to change your direction to get there as conditions and circumstances demand. Push on, friend.

7. Tell people.

Chances are excellent they're going to encourage you.

8. Be a team player.

You can have everything you want in life if you will just help enough other people get what they want.

9. Write it all down.

Each time you reach a goal, your confidence will grow so that you can do bigger and better things. After accomplishing any goal, write about it—in your journal, wherever.

10. Reflect.

What you get by reaching your destination isn't nearly as important as what you become by reaching your goals—what you will become is the winner you were born to be!

New Year New You ~ Set Your Goals

I am completely goal driven.

New Year to me is get your shit together time. 

Its figure this deal out time.

 Its put plans into action time.

Benjamin Franklin said "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail"

I believe that the things you want in life are just dreams, until you write them down.

Then they become goals.

When they become goals the law of attraction kicks in and things start to happen.

I start each year by writing out my goals in a leather bound journel, and then take time throughout the year to re-read them, give myself progress updates, and add to them. I also check over last year's goals and see how well I did.

If you're not sure where to begin, or if goal setting is new to you and feels foreign, here are some ideas to get you started.

1. What do you want to see, discover or explore? I am a travel junkie, so my travel goals always seem to be at the top of my goal list.
 

Lovers in Venice

 I saw these lovers, all dressed up for each other, kissing in the rain in Venice. And I thought to myself, Venice in the rain with your lover is a pretty good goal. 

2. How do you want your daily life to look? Maybe you want more free time, maybe you want more quality time with people you love.

The more specific you are, the better.

3. What are your financial goals? Winning the lottery or being a millionaire don't really count, it's more about getting specific about how much you want to save/invest/earn etc.

4. What skills do you want to master, improve or learn? This could be hobbies or it could be personal disciplines. It might be something that you are already good at but that you want to improve upon.

improve your swing?

5. What are your career goals?

6. What personal quality do you want to strengthen? Lord knows I need more patience...

7. What are your health and fitness goals? This year I want to go to yoga class 5 days per week. I have exactly zero desire to run marathons, climb mountains or do crossfit. But yoga I love, and I get more out of it if I go to class.

Crow.
Namaste

8. What material things do you want this year? Maybe its a new car, maybe its a house, maybe its a pair of Louboutins. (great goal!!) Whatever it is or they are, identify and then write it/them down.

Red quilted Chanel Handbag

 I'm not sure if its a goal or a vision board item, 

but I seriously want a red quilted Chanel handbag this year.

Nicole Ritchie wears my Chanel dream bag well!

It's your goal list so be as greedy as you want.

Remember:

If your goals don't terrify you then they're not big enough.