Episode 646: 5 Ways to Enter the New Year on a Positive Note (Mindset & Self-Care)

EBT646 – 5 Ways to Enter the New Year on a Positive Note

Intro  00:01

Hey food bloggers. Thank you so much for joining me in this mindset and self-care focused episode here on Eat Blog Talk. One of the reasons I started a blog talk was to hold a space to talk about the importance of mindset and self-care. Being an entrepreneur can be a lot. If we are not taking care of ourselves, then getting actionable information about SEO Pinterest or whatever else is all moot. I will meet you back here every Wednesday to discuss various mindset and self-care topics. So you have the energy and space to tackle the rest.

Megan Porta  00:33

Hey, food bloggers, welcome to this mindset and self care focused episode of Eat Blog Talk. Thank you so much for your feedback about these mindset episodes. By the way, I received a resounding yes collectively that you guys would like for them to continue, which is good news for me, because they continue to be my own personal therapy. So I guess I owe you a thank you back for allowing me to dig into these mindset topics each week. Today we are going to talk about five ways to enter the new year on a positive note. I do realize we are a few weeks into the new year already, but this is about the time when those New Year’s resolutions start to slip a little bit. So I figured it’s the perfect time for a new year’s resolution and intention refresh. It is probably safe to say that every one of you listening desires to have lasting positive change this year. As you listen to this episode, some things will probably come to mind for you, things you would like to be different this year, things you’d like to stay the same this year, and ways that you would just overall like to have positivity infiltrate your year, and not just to start the year, but for the entire year. In order to not only invite in positivity, but to ensure those positive things stick around for you, we will need to work through all of the points in this episode repeatedly. This is not a one and done exercise. I highly recommend putting a note in your calendar to go through these points regularly, at least monthly, if not more, each time you do. Treat the previous calendar year and the coming calendar year as your guide. For example, when you’re at the end of January, you will move through the points with January, 2024 to January, 2025 in mind. When you get to June, you will move through the points with June. 2024 through June. 2025 in mind. These points will all require intentionality. I’m not going to lie, but I promise, if you stay consistent with it, your chances of having a positive year ahead will greatly increase. Let’s do this together. I’m super excited, because I very badly desire a positive 2025, for myself and for my family, and if you’re feeling like the year has just started off on the wrong foot already, or you’re already slipping on some of your resolutions or goals or habits. You are not alone. But I’m hoping this episode will help you. It is here to help you. So let’s talk through the five ways to enter the new year on a positive note.

Thei Zervaki  03:21

Hello, bloggers. I’m Thei from wedeserts.com and baking a desserts blog starting out in today’s competitive food blog in space isn’t enough. You need to shine with a truly distinct voice. Are you ready to elevate your social media content, craft, resistible lead magnets, and refine your email marketing with your personal flair? I’m here to help you by aligning your content pillars, tailored AI prompts and insights from your human design chart, focusing specifically on your energy type and strategy, you will develop a voice that is authentic and unique like never before. Want to learn more? Email me at [email protected], T, H, E, I, at, W, E, D, E, S, S, E, R T, S.com. Happy New Year!

Megan Porta  04:06

Number one, gratitude for the previous year. Why is this important? Because acknowledging the wins, the lessons, the growth and even the failures from the previous year sets a positive tone for the year ahead. Yes, even the failures are going to set a positive tone, because growth and lessons come from every single failure we experience. I love doing my quick three minute gratitude dumps daily, but something I love even more is a longer monthly maybe gratitude dump that encompasses everything I can think of that has transpired in the previous year, we have been through similar exercises in these mindset episodes. But don’t let that keep you from doing another this is very important. Every single time I sit down to write out points of gratitude, new things come up. Doing this practice repeatedly trains your brain to look for. The positive, even if you’re in challenging situations. How to do it. Pull out your journal or a fresh, clean Google Doc and just start writing. You can set a timer for yourself if you want. 10 minutes seems to be a good starting place with that. And just start writing down everything you can think of. Start with the basics if you’re having a hard time getting started. So I’m grateful that I persevered through some tough HCU updates this year. I’m grateful for every penny of ad revenue that got deposited into my bank account. I’m grateful for the podcast episode that encouraged me to do something scary but rewarding. I am grateful for the summer vacation I was able to take with my family. I’m grateful for the hit my traffic took in March because it prompted me to lean into Instagram, resulting in getting 50k followers. I’m just making all this up, but you kind of get the idea, just write down every single thing that you’re grateful for, even if it stems from a tough stretch or a tough situation, Think through everything, both personally and professionally. It all bleeds into each other, and reflect on those challenges and how they shaped your growth this year. Here’s a bonus tip, share your list with someone close to you to really deepen the experience. 

Megan Porta  06:18

Number two, note what you are looking forward to in the coming year. Why is this important? Because anticipating exciting events or even big work projects that you have in mind builds momentum and positivity. This is one of my favorite things to do when I need a boost of positivity, when I’m feeling really negative in a certain week, my brain automatically goes to what is coming up that I am excited about. I like to think of an upcoming trip or maybe a retreat that I’m hosting, or an event that I’m going to, that I’m really looking forward to. And every single time I do this, it shifts my energy almost instantly. It’s so easy to get caught up in the monotony of life and to forget that there are fun, exciting plans and adventures, experiences, etc, on the horizon, looking forward to the things that light you up will increase your entire vibration, inviting in even more of that positive energy into your life. How to do it. You can use the same journal or doc, if you’d like, from the last point again. Set a timer for 10 minutes or 15 minutes or five minutes, and just start writing. Create a list of everything you’re excited about in both business and life. Include specific milestones, vacations, collaborations, new opportunities, and don’t forget about those small things and the small events that are coming up too. There is a tradition in my husband’s family that we do every year where we get together for just a few hours and we make homemade raviolis. In the grand scheme of my year, it’s such a blip, but these few hours are so enjoyable. Our teenage boys participate, which is saying a lot, and they look forward to this family time together every year. I would consider this a small event, but it’s still significant, because it produces so much joy. So get all the big things out, but don’t forget about those little things too. This might even spark inspiration to plan something in 2025. Plan a small or a big vacation or a gathering with friends or family members, or inviting people over to your house for dinner. This exercise is going to prompt positivity, but also inspiration. And bonus tip, keep this list somewhere visible so you can remind yourself about what’s coming and stay excited about the events that are coming up. 

Megan Porta  08:51

Number three, set goals. Why is this important? Because clear, achievable goals provide direction and focus for the year. Having focus helps to remove mental clutter, which can be a huge barrier to positivity. A few years ago, I began my now yearly ritual of sitting down before each year begins to set goals and just make a general plan for the year ahead. Once I started seeing that there were really huge benefits of taking the time for this. I have never considered not doing it. There is so much power in taking the time to set goals for your life and your business. And like I mentioned, I do a big session every year before the year starts, but I don’t leave it there. I revisit these goals every single day. You might think that’s overkill, but I disagree. It takes me mere minutes to review my goals, my plans for the year, my dreams and desires, and that keeps all of the things I want to prioritize in my year ahead at the very top of my mind, which draws in opportunities and people and projects and all the things that are aligned with my goals. How to do this? I recently published an episode about this topic, so I won’t go too deep into how to set goals. Here definitely go listen to episode number 634, if you haven’t already, but here’s a quick synopsis of the points I made in that episode. Number one, define your why. Two, reflect on the previous year. Three, write out your goals, focuses projects, what not to focus on for the coming year. Four, what upgrades would you like to make this year? And number five, make a plan. Make a year plan, a quarterly plan, and set weekly action steps that support all of that. When you do this, consider setting goals in multiple areas. So business, health, relationships, personal development, etc. And I just want to reiterate that this isn’t something to do and not come back to until next year. That is not an effective way to set goals. You have to go through the process and at the very minimum, revisit your goals weekly. A bonus tip is to read the book The 12 week Year by Brian Moran for additional inspiration on this topic. 

Megan Porta  11:07

Number four, create a vision board. Why is this important? Because being able to see your dreams keeps them at the top of your mind, keeping you motivated and aligned. The power of the vision board is massive. Do not underestimate this exercise. I find that I have a little bit of resistance every time I sit down to create a vision board, which is weird. I soon find it is extremely silly because it takes such little time to actually do it, and it’s always so much fun and super inspiring as well. If you have created a vision board before, you know how powerful this exercise can be. If you haven’t give it a try, what do you have to lose? I am currently looking at the vision board I created a few months ago, and nearly everything on it has either been checked off the list, come to fruition or is on the horizon how to do it. There are a few different ways you can go about this. You can go the old school route and cut images out of magazines and photos you have that align with things you want to come to fruition this year, and glue or tape them on a poster board or a shade of paper or something like that. Or do what I typically do, which feels so much easier, and just open Canva, start uploading images into a new project that align with experiences you want to have, or projects you want to accomplish, places you want to see, people you want to fill your year with, or money you want to receive in the coming year. You can also add power, words, numbers, symbols, clip art, anything that brings you joy or relief or excitement when you see it, think about how achieving each of these dreams will make you feel. Will you feel peaceful, successful, joyful? And incorporate those emotions into your vision board. Place your vision board somewhere where you will see it daily. Mine is on my laptop desktop, so I see it multiple times throughout the day. My subconscious and my brain are absorbing what I have put there. Maybe it’s more effective for you to have a poster or a piece of paper with your vision board items in, I don’t know, your bedroom or your kitchen or your bathroom, so you can stare at it while you get ready for the day, or while you’re cooking or getting ready for bed or whatever. A bonus tip is to incorporate elements of both personal and professional goals for a really good balance on your vision board. 

Megan Porta  13:34

Number five, commit to making one positive, permanent change. Why is this important? Because starting with one manageable, doable, impactful change is going to build confidence and momentum if you review your points regularly, as I suggested, that means you’re focusing on one important positive change to make every month, which will stack up very quickly to many positive changes when you focus on just one change you’d like to make at a time, you are not overloading your system. You’re not overloading your mind. You are decreasing the chance of giving up due to overwhelm or frustration, and you’re increasing your chances of success. How to do it? Pick one habit or mindset shift that will improve your life or your business. Examples are doing a morning meditation, having more consistent content creation, doing daily gratitude journaling, stopping evening junk food consumption. I’ve gotten in a really bad habit of eating ice cream at night, so this could be a good one for me, maybe not drinking soda for a month, cutting back on coffee, little things that seem manageable, and just sticking to one per month and focus on consistency rather than perfection, something that is ingrained in my personal DNA is to try to change too many things about my habits at one time I don’t know why, but this always seems like a good idea, until I realize it’s a terrible idea. Once you have your one change that you’re going to focus on, chosen, write it down and for the next month, dedicate your energy to supporting this change that you would like to make for yourself. When committing to one positive change, it’s also important to be really specific and intentional with it. So instead of saying I’m going to eat healthier this month, try something like I’ll have vegetables with every meal, or 25 grams of fiber per day, or 100 grams of protein per day. The more concrete your goal is, the easier it is going to be to track your progress and build confidence as you succeed. Also celebrate your small wins along the way, so you stay motivated each day. You stick to your change. Consider it a huge victory. Acknowledge it. Progress compounds over time, and even one small adjustment can have such a big ripple effect in your life, positively influencing other areas of your life and your business. One small change, just drinking more water every day, might inspire a cascade of other healthy habits. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small. And finally, don’t be afraid to adjust if the change you choose feels unsustainable or not aligned after a couple of weeks, reflect and change it rather than giving up entirely, remember that the goal is permanent change, not perfection, and any forward movement is a step in the right direction. Bonus tip, read Atomic Habits by James Clear. This is my favorite all time book ever for personal development and habits and making lasting change. Read this book for the ultimate motivation regarding creating better habits and dropping habits that are no longer serving you. 

Megan Porta  16:52

That is all I have. So let’s recap the five points. So gratitude for the previous year, noting what you’re looking forward to in the coming year, setting goals, creating a vision board and committing to one positive change per month at a time. Take these actionable steps to implement positive things in your life this year, this week, this month. I so strongly believe that the way you enter the new year sets the tone for how the entire year is going to unfold. You’ve got this as always, I’m here doing this with you. Thank you so much for listening to this and all these mindset episodes. I really appreciate your ears, and I’ll see you back here next week. 

Outro 

Thank you so much for listening to this mindset and self-care episode here on Eat Blog Talk. If you are a food blogger providing a service for other food bloggers, and you want to spread the word about the value that you offer. I would love to offer you a free way to do just this. Send me a 60 second audio clip to be featured in a mindset and self-care episode. Go to eatblogtalk.com/audioclip to learn more.