7 Simple Tips to Start the Year Positively

9 min readDec 18, 2020

That fateful time of the year is coming again. January 1st is right around the corner. I hate that date as much as I love it, for all the potential it has but all the overwhelm it brings.

I’m like everybody else. I set resolutions for the new year and give up most of them, if not all, in a matter of months, if not weeks. At least that’s what I did. The last two years have been on point. I’ve only given up what shouldn’t have been a resolution in the first place, like learning a specific language while I was already learning 4.

2020 was harsh and full of changes for all of us. In the grand scheme of things, though, it’s only one year. It doesn’t have to spill over to 2021. This new year can be incredible. No, it should. It all relies on what you decide to do with it.

In reality, 2021 doesn’t start on January 1st. It starts the day you choose to make it start. And you should choose today.

1. Start Before the End of the Year

We always wait until January 1st to start our new resolutions even though we don’t have to. Throw your calendar away and start right away. You already know most of the resolutions you’ll set. Pick one and start today.

As I write these words, it’s December 8th. If you were to start a new habit today, by 2021, you’d have done it 23 times. You’d start the new year with a win. You’d already be on a roll.

In 2021, I want to create a complex chatbot using Python. I am not a programmer so this is a project that’ll take time. Instead of waiting for January 1st, I already started a few days ago learning the basics of Python and searching the (many) subskills I’ll need.

You can start today. Take one resolution you plan on having and start. If you want, spend the rest of the month adding the rest as you go, or wait for the new year. The most important is for you to start something before the year ends.

2. Find One Thing to Leave in 2020

I know that choice will be difficult. There are probably a lot more than one thing to leave in 2020. Control yourself and make a choice. Find that one thing you really want to close the door on.

In 2020, I spent at least 2 hours on YouTube per day, watching pointless Mario Maker videos and theories about Zelda’s lore. Often, I spent double that time. This is what I want to leave in 2020. So in preparation for 2021, I am now setting daily limits to reduce my “addiction” to those.

It can be anything. Maybe you feel bad for your habit of eating snacks in the morning. Maybe you regret drinking 5 times a week. Maybe you want to give up a hobby that began eating you from inside. Maybe you want to stop watching the news so often.

Anything is fine. You can even choose more than one. But make sure there’s one that is more important than the rest. That’s what, no matter what, you’ll leave in 2020.

Pro tip: Make sure you choose something you can control. We all want to leave Covid-19 in 2020 but that’s not up to any of us. Unless you’re an exceptional scientist. I wish I were, but I know I’m not.

3. Find One Thing to Add in 2021

The exact opposite of the previous point. What would make 2021 a better year? Find something you control and make it a priority. Of course, you can also add more as well but remember, again, to keep your priorities straight.

I decided I’d read more in 2021. The lower limit I’ve set for myself is 3 books per two months. The goal would be 2 books per month. I already started reading again in 2020 but it never became a true habit. I want reading to become one.

Think about what would have made 2020 a better year — and is within your control. What would you love to improve upon? What did you think about starting for years and never got around to it?

In 2018, I began writing online. In 2019, I began eating a bit healthier. In 2020, I began running (and ended up running a 10K, as a smoker). Find what works for you. It can even be something harder to measure, like improving your mental health or start meditating.

4. Plan the Best First Week

What if, and hear me out, your first week of 2021 was on fire? What if the only adjectives you could use to describe it were “awesome” or “mind-blowing”? How excited would you be for the rest of the year?

The situation isn’t all that easy this year so maybe you won’t be able to make it perfect. But you can make it the “best” within current restrictions. If you need preparations, you still have the time now.

I’ll be in my hometown when the new year hits. During my first week, I’ll go for walks outside with my parents, zoom friends in Japan, and play a few games with my best friend. I’ll also spend time reflecting some more about 2020 and begin planning in more detail 2021.

All this could be boring for you but it’s not for me. Find what would make your first week awesome, plan it, enjoy it, and start 2021 on the right foot. You won’t regret it.

5. Forgive Two People

Yes, two. And both are as important.

First, start by forgiving one person in your life. You can tell them or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters is for you to let go of the pain or anger you feel toward them. Those feelings hold you back. They prevent you from moving on and living a fulfilling life. Let go and your life will get better.

The second person you have to forgive is yourself. You’ve messed up this year, like every year. We all do. You can’t carry on without letting go of your failures. Error is human and, until further notice, you are one too. It’s okay. Let go and forgive yourself.

This year, I chose to forgive a friend in Japan who hurt me many times in the past. His actions and words have often made me feel awful. I hated him for this but this is in the past. He is him and I am me. His opinions don’t have to weigh over me. As for what I forgive myself for, it’s how much I procrastinated on important tasks.

Move on in the new year by letting go of what is holding you back.

6. Do One Thing You Planned for in June

Nothing is ever too late. Take one thing you wanted to do earlier this year and never got around to do. I chose June because that’s half a year ago but you can choose any other time. What matters is for you to prove yourself it’s never too late.

Were you planning on investing? Invest $100 today. Were you planning on running? Put on those shoes today. Were you planning to propose but never got around to it? Get on that knee.

In June, I planned on diving deep into learning German. Instead, I find myself in December barely able to say a few words. For this reason, I decided to dive deep right now. I’ve increased the time I spend on it daily and began actively using the language. I’ll even register for the Lingoda Sprint to reach new heights.

It doesn’t really matter how big that task is. It could even be trying food with an ingredient you don’t like. Remind yourself there’s always time to do what you want. If you’re a bit crazy, do two things. I know, wow, right?

7. Sit Down and Think about Time

Sit down and think about all the potential 8,760 hours hold. That’s how much you’ll get next year. Even if we subtracted 8 hours of daily sleep (and let’s be honest, you probably don’t get that much), that’s 5,840 hours left. Take off 5 workdays of 8 hours a week, and you’re left with 3,760 hours. That’s a whole lot.

You’ll get so much time to accomplish so many things. It’s all in your hands. What you decide you want to accomplish, you can. Don’t worry about your limits, you won’t reach them anyway. Find challenges that excite you. By 2022, become a person you wouldn’t recognize today.

Also, remind yourself that every second a new year begins. We all decide the new year begins on January 1st, but does it have to? Each second is the beginning of a new year. What you can’t start now, you can start on the new year that’ll begin on March 5th at 11:42 am. Or any other time.

You have time. A lot of it. Use it the way you want, so you can inspire yourself.

Final Thoughts

Don’t wait until 2021 to start the new year. Begin today. If you spend December getting ready for a magnificent 2021, it can become reality. You hold the cards.

Let go of past failures and pains, find what you want to leave in 2020 and add in 2021. Prepare well so that by January 1st, you’re already on fire. You don’t have to fail your resolutions as you did in previous years. You’re not who you were in December 2019, nor in January 2020.

You can accomplish a whole lot. If you choose to. Go on, you can do it. You can create a magnificent future. And you deserve it.