As a society, we put a lot of pressure on New Year’s Eve to be an unforgettable, life-changing night. Fat chance.
Many of us wake up the next day groaning and overflowing with disappointment. The rest of January is spent miserably atoning for our New Year’s Eve sins until even our resolutions fade away into a cloud of failure… some ride. But New Year’s Eve doesn’t have to be a step in the wrong direction. It is a powerful time to set your intention for the upcoming year. Here are 5 tips for making your New Year’s Eve experience less disappointing and a lot more meaningful:
Don’t put too much pressure on the night.
In reality, New Year’s Eve is just another night. Don’t come into it with the expectation that you will have a transformative experience when the clock strikes 12. Use it as a transitionary experience, not necessarily a transformative one. New Year’s Eve is a great time to put in the mental and spiritual work to start 2018 off right. Center yourself, say a reflective goodbye to 2017, and prepare yourself for the upcoming year.
Journal your intentions.
Set some time aside on December 31st to journal (or think about) about your intentions for 2018. Write about the wonderful things that happened to you in 2017. Write about the things you could have done better. Let these inform your intentions for the new year. Try not to have a negative or self-deprecating tone. Focus on positivity and possibility. When the clock starts striking down, hold these intentions clearly in your mind to provide yourself focus and a foundation upon which to predicate the upcoming year.
Don’t default to boozing it up.
Since when did New Year’s Eve become about drinking alcohol? Does anyone really feel proud when they wake up on January 1st, the first page of a new chapter, a little groggy and hungover? Absolutely not! So don’t make your New Year’s Eve alcohol-centric. Sure, indulge a little if you’d like, but make the night about more than alcohol. Focus on gratitude. Feel gratitude for your friends, your family, your work, your home, and your amazing self. Reflecting on the gratitude you feel for your life is a meaningful and simple way to cap the old year and pop open the new one.
Have a no-regrets experience.
Do something that you will not regret the next day. Usually, massive parties lubricated with alcohol are a recipe for disappointment. Instead, ask yourself what you would do to celebrate the upcoming year if you had nothing holding you back. Would you go somewhere special; be with someone special? Would you prefer to get out of your comfort zone or stay cozy at home? Spend New Year’s Eve doing your favorite thing, whatever that may be, with your favorite person or people. Maybe it’s a midnight hike under the moon with your canine pal. Maybe it’s a concert with your closest friends. Don’t just go to a party because it’s New Year’s Eve and you should. Do what truly makes you happy.
Start at a high.
At midnight, try to be doing something that makes you feel accomplished and grateful for your incredible life. For me, that is hiking up the nearest peak and reaching the summit at midnight. There is something so metaphorically wonderful about starting the new year at the top of a mountain. Find something significant for yourself. Maybe it’s a real accomplishment like finally finishing a small art project that you’ve been putting off or getting over your fears about singing karaoke. Or maybe it’s something comforting and centering, like snuggling up with loved ones. Starting your year with a win sets an excellent tone for the year to come.
Your New Year’s Eve won’t be meaningful unless you put in the effort to make yourself happy. Listen to your intuition and explore your feelings. There is no right way to spend New Year’s Eve, so do it your way. What’s your favorite way to spend New Year’s Eve? Share your tips with the community in the comments below!
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