Preparing For 2008
[ 20 December 2007 ]
I think most of us look forward to the start of a new year with great anticipation & excitement. Just like the first blank page of a new notebook, the days stretch out ahead of you, unwritten & full of promise. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am about 2008 — I think it is going to be an amazing year, full of unprecendented growth. (See Astrostyle’s Jupiter in Capricorn spread for more info!)
Here are some little things you can do to make your transition into 2008 even better. I advise doing most of them in that delicious time of nothingness that is the 25th to 31st of December. Eat a little, nap a little, tick one of these off your list, then eat some more. Sounds like a good time to me!
Tidy up loose ends
Well, as best you can. Sometimes it’s hard to do that over the Christmas period, especially if you’re waiting for a response from someone else, but you still have a few days before everything starts shutting down. If you need to get your outfit or shoes repaired for a big New Year’s Eve party, get on it NOW! Send any remaining local Christmas cards as soon as you can. They’ll be late, but at least they won’t be horrendously late!
Create a new signature
Email or otherwise. I’m currently on the hunt for a fantastic quote to use in my email signature for next year. This year my signature featured a quote from Deepak Chopra which I adore: “Where nature goes to create stars, galaxies, quarks & leptons, you & I also go to create ourselves.” But it’s almost 2008, which means I want something else to sign off with. Every year I try to have some over-all lesson I’m trying to learn. This year it was that we can make ourselves into anything we want — hence the signature. I’m still deciding on 2008’s theme, though, so when I know that, I’ll pick a quote to use!
Perform a Wardrobe Taming!
Don’t put it off any longer. It’s the perfect time of year to do such a thing! Think about it — if you start today, by the time January 1st rolls around, you’ll have a magnificent wardrobe containing only things you absolutely love. You know that as soon as the new year starts, it’s going to be “go go go”. Make the most of the free time you have now!
Clean out your inbox
I am so guilty of this one. Reply to all your email & relish the sight of an empty inbox! The same goes for physical mail. If you have letters that need to be responded to, packages which are begging to be sent or bills to be paid, hop to it!
Tidy your house
Even if you’re not going to have any guests over Christmas, & even if you’re going away for the Christmas period, give your house a really thorough going-over. Wash clothes, vacuum, dust everything off. You’ll feel really good if you go into the new year with a spotless house. For the really adventurous, you could also ruthlessly clear out your desk, bedroom & bathroom cabinet. I have such an amazing amount of clutter, & I’ve only been living here a year! I’m going to go through my bathroom with a big rubbish bag, as well as clearing everything off my desk & then re-evaluating whether I need it or not. I am actually really looking forward to it. (What a nerd!)
Indulge in some beauty therapy
I know money can be tight at Christmas, but if you can scrounge up a spare $150, going to a beauty therapist is one of the best things you could do. Get a rejuvenating facial, a massage, a mani/pedi, a wax, an eyelash tint, or your eyebrows tended to. If you can’t quite afford to splurge on yourself, go DIY! Here’s how to give yourself a manicure & tame those eyebrows! It’s great to feel like you are totally prepared for the holiday season, which, let’s face it, can get a little bit crazy. Head into the new year with perfect eyebrows, fabulous nails & beautiful skin! What could be better?
Spend some time reflecting
No, you don’t have to spend hours meditating (unless you want to!). Basically what this means is that you set some time aside for you to think over 2007. What happened to you? What was good, what was bad? What would you like to do again? What would you like to avoid? How can you ensure 2008 is an improvement on 2007? Make some notes if you want to — these can serve as a good basis for goal-setting for the new year, too. (Don’t fret, I’ll be writing about that soon!)
Fill out a survey
Not compulsory, but fun! Take your pick & go to town!
Do you have any end of year traditions or things you like to do before the new year rolls around? Tell me about them!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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They sound like good ideas!
It’s so good to have nothing planned! It’s like Friday everyday in the holidays! Woop woop!
I always had New Year’s resolutions but I always broke them.
2 years ago I had a New Year’s resolution that I wouldn’t date any more boys called Ben. And by March I had dated one Ben and was in a serious relationship with a second. I’m still in that relationship and it was the best resolution I ever broke.
I now like to call them New Year’s ‘guidelines’. Just suggestions on what I might like to do this year but they are all entirely breakable should they need to be!
I always make the resoloution to lose weight, go to the gym and just generally feel healthier. I have never stuck to that resoloution, until 2007 and I lost 30kgs! This year I will make the same resoloution again and continue to become a lean, mean fighting machine. I also begin each new year with a new journal and calendar. It has also become a fairly recent tradition that I end the old year and begin the new year in another city. This year (as with the past two years) I will be in Melbourne!
Resoloutions don’t have to be confined to New Year, however, and I firmly believe you have to be ready to make a change and that is why alot of people don’t stnd by their resoloutions!
Such a timely post – I am in the middle of writing a post about my excitement (astrologically speaking) for the new year! I’m a Capricorn & it’s the beginning of a 12 year cycle after a rather dreary period. It gives me a sense of optimism about the upcoming year.
GALA! This is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l!
I love beginning of a new year, and I’m so excited that you posted about it! Yay!
Thanks a loooot for this post, is great! I usually don’t make the things I promise my self to do for a new year..mostly because I have no memory xD, but all this little tips are awesome :)
To be honest, I’m going to completely zone out from Boxing Day onwards. Xmas Day is gonna be HUGE (in an awesome way), but on the 26th I’m going up north and hitting as many beaches as I can. Shorts and jandals all the way! I will barely notice New Year’s Eve. It is going to be GREAT! I’m lucky in that my working year doesn’t start up until 4th Feb, so I will do all the cleaning/sorting/tying/reflecting/creating/planning in the second half of January.
I love beginning new years, I always try to start with a clean slate. That is why I:
>Organize my bedroom, bathroom and wardrobe
>Write all my resolutions on my mirror
>Buy books to read thoughout the year
>Star exercising
I want to be healthy this year (I’ve recently discovered that I’m a pre.diabetic) and I want to increase my academic performance.
Kisses.
How is it that you always seem to write on the exact same things I’ve been wondering about?! Just hours ago my friends and I were commenting on the new year and how distant and scary it seemed. In previous years I’ve never really seen the New Year as something to be excited about; to be honest, I would often think, “Okay, so 1998 is now 1999, there’s a one-digit change—big deal. Everything is still exactly the same.” But now I see it as a wonderful window of opportunity, a blank slate full of possibilities! When 2007 rolled around, I literally shivered with excitement at all the wonderful things that could happen. (This may also be because I viewed the age fifteen as sort of a magical year, though there’s no particular reason why.) Maybe it’s your positive influence that’s inspired the turnaround. ;D
And when I thought that great things would happen to me in 2007, they did! Admittedly there were some rough spots, but there were shining moments throughout that made it all worth it—bonding with my best friend in LA, fulfilling my dream of seeing a favorite artist in concert, making AWESOME new friends. Now, I can’t wait to find out what 2008 will bring.
VICTORY — Every day is like Friday for me ;D
LadySmaggle — Hee, that’s so funny. I’m going to do a couple of posts over the next couple of weeks about resolutions & goals. I agree that resolutions are a loose guideline; makes sense to me!
Anaphora — Oh wow, CONGRATULATIONS! That is amazing. Good for you. I always have trouble sticking to an exercise regime, I think maybe I just need to tap it in. I’ve been procrastinating on doing it though, haha.
Allison — Yes! I’m so stoked about Jupiter in Capricorn. 2008 is going to be M I N D B L O W I N G !
Taylor Blaine — I love that you are as excited about it as I am!!!
fran — Yay! I hope it helps you out!
Nadine — Haha, sounds nice! Simon & I are going away over Christmas but will be back before the new year. His brother is coming to stay with us so it’s going to be full-on. I plan on using my holiday time as good relaxation/planning time before he arrives!
Julie — Ahh, we’re two peas in a pod! Always trying to better ourselves. Good for you. Look after yourself!
Trisha — Hee! Yay for your excitement about the new year! The best way to get into the spirit of embracing the blank slate is to organise your affairs, make some plans & goals etc., & relax so that when you go into the new year, you are totally ready for it. CAN’T WAIT!
Lovely ideas, Gala! This was a rough year for me personally, but it’s good to reflect on how this year made me the person I am, and how next year’s going to be ten times better. I’m going to do a survey right now!
Hi Gala, I agree 2008 has some good vibes!
I’m going to take the time after Xmas to do a lot of cleaning and organising, and of course some planning!
I don’t have any resolutions, apart from crossing as many things as possible of my 101 in 1001 list (101 goals to achieve in 1001 days).
If the 101 in 1001 appeals to anyone, check out:
http://triplux.com/dayzero/
There’s a LiveJournal community for anyone starting the challenge on 1 Jan 2008.
I love all your ideas for preparing for the New Year!!! I’m so excited about 2008 being just around the corner; the anticipation of not knowing is just so tantalizing! :D I really love the tip about creating a new signature for the New Year—I’m going to definitely apply that one. ;)
Great list of ideas! I’m cleaning my inbox out as we speak! And I definitely have some other things around the house that sorting out! Such a chore!
I really can’t believe its nearly 2008! This year has gone so fast! I’m listening to a perfect song right now…UNDISCOVERED by Ashlee Simpson. So its very fitting. I’m looking forward to all those things ‘undiscovered’ that lie ahead! I think! LOL! :)
I haven’t been excited about a new year in ages, so thanks heaps for the tips! xx
Another fabulous article!
xx
welllll my New Year’s thing for the past few was inspired by one of my best friends. Nathalie encouraged me to wear color on New Year’s Eve as opposed to basic, sophisticated black. She told me everyone in her hometown (Rio de Janeiro!) wears white to welcome purity and to get a fresh start so she was horrified everyone wore black in the states—she said it was asking the universe for a gloomy year!
NYE 2007 I took her suggestion to heart. I got decked out in a fabulous, bright green dress with gold shoes and a crazy-dazzling gold necklace (for growth and fortune and luck). What do you know, this year I graduated from university, got highly promoted at work (not once—TWICE!), and cut out all the negative people in my life (like a plant—cut off the dead to encourage more blooms!). I also now have a perfectly amazing boyfriend to boot.
I’m trying to think of what color 2008 should be…I’m thinking plum!
I love new years! It’s not about the party but it’s the next day when you have a clean slate. My only absolute essential is ensuring i have my moleskin planner ready to start filling in exciting dates, birthdays meetings and ensuring that i do everything i want to do is put in there!
I think I’m already in that zone of wanting to clear up, freshen up and start anew. Last week, I blitzed my house-cleaning and cleared out my email inbox. This week I’ve already taken one long walk to clear my head and replenish my soul, and yesterday I attended to some blog house-keeping and treated myself to a new blog theme. This is such a great time to make a concerted effort to sweep out the old and bring in the new. Exciting times ahead!
Great! I like all those ideas (especially the pampering one- I’ve been meaning to have a real manicure done for ages!) I am also in the process of writing some style resolutions for 2008! I want to:
- start wearing lipstick (I am going to be brave today and go buy a red and a neutral, with the help of the darlings at the counter at Bobbi and MAC) – make sure I don’t have drastic regrowth for months at a tim – invest in some new, decent jewellery- I went on a rampage yesterday and threw most of my old stuff out.
It feels great! Any other suggestions for a style kick-up-the-proverbial for 2008?
xxx
My favourite part of preparing for the new year is buying a new calendar.
Yes I am a big nerd :D.
The sheer ecstatic power of 2008 is already rumbling my core. Love this post, today marked the start of my prep for the ending and the mammoth beginning/continuing. I start my intense detox tomorrow, scrubbing my body and mind of this year’s debris and clearing the path for the epic journey I (we) am about to embark on. woooooohooooooooooo
2008 almost makes me breathless. The enormity of things coming was only reconfirmed by Astrostyle (thanks for that little tip!)
Hold on to your boots babe 2008 is going to be a wild ride! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (but you already know that, right? ;p )
I really need to do the Wardrobe Taming thing.
oooh…nice ideas Gala!! thanks. I’m a little exited of what 2008 is gonna be. who knows, it might be a great year for me or you!! i will try my best to do this all. i should head to 2008 with a new start!
I’ve got most of those things planned.
I did my big clean out the weekend after Thanksgiving and did big garage sale, so that’s done.
Every year I like to do a list of goals/to do’s for the next year. It’s a tradition I’ve done for about 10 years. It really helps to write things down and I’ve found once you “say” something it tends to happen – almost magically sometimes. Once I’ve written my new year out I put the old one in a dated envelope and seal it up. Sort of like a time capsule.
This year I’ve added, I think based on your suggesstion, a 101 things to do in 1001 days. I’m still filling up that list, but I love it. I usually have a 5 year and 10 year big plan in mind but this gives some good structure.
Also, this time of year, one of my favorite things to do is get my new calendar and transfer all the birthdays, significant dates and events I want to do or that I may have missed in the past year and want to be on the look out for.
Also, the day after Christmas is the day to do thank you’s. Something I feel is very important.
I’m on vacation today and off to get a massage and pedicure and then am wearing some new fabulous shoes out to dinner!
Luv
Poochie
www.shoedaydreams.com
Thank you for this! I think I’m going to print it out and stick it up in my room. I need something to spur me into action, and this could be it. I’m especially keen on trying the wardrobe taming thing. I’ve got free time, some money (an early Christmas gift from my wonderful grandparents) to spend on new clothes, and this would be a great opportunity to get rid of all the clothes that represent the way I used to feel about myself. I’m done with the baggy, nondescript, dull-coloured stuff I’ve been wearing; I want some colour. :D
Ahh such a great article my deary. This is the stuff that I have been obsessing over all month long, finally catching up and reinventing everything. I’m feeling the pressure but your inspiring and positive article put me to ease with excitement of owning the tasks and to embrace that growth and knowledge I’ve accumulated all year long. But still I sit bombarded with plans and ideas and feeling too busy and too tired to get it done, but I will because I don’t plan on hoping for 2008 to be a good year, I know it will be a great year because I won’t allow anything less :) You’ve come so far with your talent and website and have become such an icon and inspiration for so many of us, so thank you for always being so dedicated to who you are and sharing yourself with the world. Happy Holidays!
Things I love about the new year:
-Having removed myself from all the negative relationships in my life (that I could) and embracing the positive ones, I look forward to nurturing my refined group of friends
-Maintaining my healthy lifestyle, a product of my 2007 resolutions!
-Adopting my late sister’s name (though, since I am a minor, I can’t change it legally). Still, as a persona and a sign of a whole new me, I am A.J. Alexandra
-A clean home and closet
-New job opportunities
-Visiting LONDON in February, where I will turn sweet 16!!!
Best beuty therepist in Melbourne, and not expensive – Kate Mackenzie-Forbes Complete.Beauty.Treatment . She works at the back of the LEIGH RILEY SALON and boy is she good. My eyebrows and lashes have never looked so good. Also the hair salon is wicked to. Check it out Melbournites!! You will love her!!
Went and saw Kate Mackenzie-Forbes right before xmas, she slotted me in early on Xmas eve. I was delighted with my tinting. Without doubt the best therapist i have found in three years. I highly recommend.