For those of us in New Zealand, 2009 ticks into existence in a little over 24 hours. Before we launch into January with a flying leap, pinch a bit of time with your fingers & use it to your advantage. Here are some ideas to start you off right!

Recognise 2008 for what it has been. Even if you felt like it was the worst year of your life, it had lessons to teach you & positive things have happened. Think back & be grateful for what 2008 showed you, so that you can move forward into 2009 with a clear head & a dedication to all things fabulous!

As part of this, consider reviewing your year. You can do this by taking a silly survey, or by simply meditating on the events of the past 365 days. Think about what you’d like to stay the same or improve in 2009, & what you are happy to leave behind. The unexamined life is not worth living, after all. (Thanks, Socrates!) Use this information as a jumping-off point to choose some goals for the new year.

Okay, it’s time! Set yourself a bunch of amazing goals. Remember that your goal needs to be able to be measured & have a deadline. Don’t forget to work out the steps you’ll need to take to achieve each goal! For example, “lose weight” is not a goal — “lose 20 pounds by the 10th of November through a combination of exercise 4 times/week & 2 raw meals a day” is!

“If you are bored with life, if you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things — you don’t have enough goals.” — Lou Holtz

Before you write on the 1st of January page in your new diary, take some time to write a short manifesto of what you want from 2009. Mine starts like this: “Magic, laughter & adventures.” For the truly anally-retentive, draft it on your computer first & then transcribe it into your diary in your loveliest, loopiest handwriting. Having something like this written in your diary is a great way to remind yourself of who you are, who you want to be, & where you want to go. You can refer to it whenever you’re feeling a bit lost. Think of it as a beautiful road-map for the year.

Write yourself a fashion manifesto (like this one) for 2009. How do you want to look? Start a scrapbook & fill it with images, words & ideas to keep you sartorially inspired.

Come up with some new year’s resolutions. These are different to goals in that they are more fluid, & less measureable, but still a lot of fun! See this article from last year for ideas!

Sign up for an account with 43 Things.

Throw out your old underwear, & buy yourself new slinkies in the post-Christmas sales!

Come up with a new name for the new year — a nickname, a project name, a full name…

Buy new bedding & shake off the ghosts of lovers past.

Clear out your friends lists on Myspace, Facebook, Livejournal, Twitter, AIM, etc. If someone isn’t actually your friend or has a habit of driving you crazy, why keep them around? Start the year fresh!

Decide to do something in 2009 that terrifies you. Like hip-hop karaoke in front of an audience, telling someone how much you really like them, or sky-diving. Give yourself a deadline & make it happen!

Do something in the next two (or three) days which makes for a good story! Run down the road naked in the snow if you have to, just make it something worth telling other people about! The year isn’t over until it’s over!

Call, email or meet up with your favourite people to tell them how much happiness they have added to your year.

Write a letter to the one person you allowed to make 2008 more difficult than it needed to be. Be as angry & vicious as you like, but when you’re done, burn it or tear it into little pieces. Visualise all your vitriol disappearing with it.

Make a start on what you want to achieve in 2009. Buy those exercise DVDs, join a gym, email that person, go & pick out paint colours for your room, whatever. You don’t have to wait until the 1st of January to start changing things!

Change your hair. Better yet, cut it all off & have it donated.

Come up with some new words to work into your vocabulary next year. Among others, I plan on reviving demode (out of fashion or unstylish), wicked (used for emphasis — e.g. “wicked faded”), mad (also used for emphasis — e.g. “mad keen”) & brocabulary (words your friends say that you pick up)! Huge props to Jake who inspired this idea (& gave me some of the words)!

Start planning a vacation to look forward to. Paris? Miami? Sounds good, mmm? But it doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive — spend a weekend in a couch fort with your best friend if that’s all your budget & schedule allows for.

If you don’t have anything magnificent planned for the night of the 31st, spend some time thinking about what you’d like to do. Then do your best to make it happen. You might prefer a night in with Buffy the Vampire Slayer to a raging crowd. If that’s what you want to do, then do it! There is no better time to start living the life you want.

Remember that 2009 will be what you make it. Set your intentions now & fall in love with the idea that it will be marvellous!

Buy a magical t-shirt & sparkly knickers to kick off 2009 with a flourish! Wink wink!