As we set our goals and resolutions for the upcoming New Year, it’s quite exciting to think of who we want to become. Honestly, we all have so much potential that deserves to flourish in the New Year. Heck, we should be setting ourselves up for greatness before January 1st even arrives. That said, blossoming into the best versions of ourselves is not just about what we’re becoming. Honestly, a big part of becoming the person we want to be is letting go of what’s holding us back. Besides, do we really want to carry anything that’s burdening us into the New Year? Heck no. Which is why we should let go of such burdens before the New Year.
Let’s give ourselves the privilege of walking into the New Year unburdened by what is no longer serving us. And honestly, even if you’re not the type of person to set New Year’s resolutions, you may still find it beneficial to let go of all of your burdens before a New Year begins. Or perhaps, before any new phase of your life begins. Whether it be for a New Year or any other marker of a new era in your life. Let’s clear out the mental, emotional, and physical clutter that’s weighing us down. And by putting an end to cycles that are no longer serving us, we make way for a new chapter to truly begin. Or even a whole new book.
Limiting Beliefs About Yourself
One of the first things that we all need to drop as we’re stepping into a new phase in our lives is our limiting beliefs about ourselves. Seriously, we all need to let go of any belief that doesn’t align with abundance before the New Year. Because honestly, it doesn’t matter what anyone may have told you when you were growing up. Nor does it matter what your own negative self-talk may try to tell you. Abundance is possible for you in every aspect that you can imagine. So stop letting your own doubts try to convince your subconscious otherwise. It’s time to rewire your mind for the life you desire, and let your nervous system get on board.
Certainly, those limiting beliefs feel the most familiar. But you know what? They no longer define your reality, and we’re dropping them now. Start saying your affirmations in your head and out loud. Say them until your subconscious has no choice but to believe them, my lovely. Start living your life as the person who already has your desires, and stop letting fear hold you back. We’re done with the old story and the limiting beliefs we’ve had imposed upon us. Whether externally or internally. Abundance is just who we are now. We’re done with the small thinking.
The Fears That Are Holding You Back
Fear is often the side effect of limiting beliefs, and it’s quite the catalyst for stunting your own growth. Understandably, our fears are just trying to keep us safe. But somehow, our nervous systems have decided that our growth and best lives are also scary. For some reason, the fear of being a little embarrassed or having our feelings hurt feels comparable to being chased by a bear. Even when the risk of any negative outcome is low, our fears try to hold us back from leveling up. Because honestly, the abundance of wealth, love, connection, and joy we’re stepping into is just unfamiliar. Which is just enough to trigger our nervous system’s alarm bells.
So before the New Year arrives, it’s time to let go of those fears. It’s time to start facing them head-on and stop letting them hold you back. It’s time to start letting yourself be perceived as the queen (or king) that you are. And it’s time to let love and connection in and stop letting the fear of rejection or potential heartache hold you back from happiness. On that same note, don’t let the fear of being alone keep you in a toxic or unfulfilling relationship or friendship. And, my lovely, don’t even worry about feeling embarrassed. It’s not embarrassing to go for something that most people wouldn’t dare to attempt. And you what? You only truly fail when you don’t try.
Stand up to those fears, my lovely. Don’t let them sabotage you from living your best life. You’re safe to live your happiest and most abundant life. Affirm it, and empower yourself through it.
Habits, Routines, and Lifestyle Choices That Don’t Serve You
Honestly, it’s only human to have a few bad habits, and many of them are quite hard to break. And honestly? Working to break a bad habit is a long-term goal, and one you’ll certainly still be working on into the New Year. But you can make the decision to start taking steps towards breaking that habit today. And with that said, I’m not just talking about letting go of habits that are objectively unhealthy. I’m talking about any habit, routine, or lifestyle choice that doesn’t align with you. Even if it seems to be beneficial to most people. Or it looks good on paper. Like the 4:00 AM morning routine, or any lifestyle choice that makes you unhappy.
Seriously, let this be the year that you don’t resolve to start waking up at an hour that feels absurd to you. Even if your favorite influencer swears by it. Resolve to build the morning and evening routines that work for you instead. And don’t force yourself into any sort of lifestyle that doesn’t resonate with you and spark joy in your life. By all means, take the steps to reduce your spending, minimize doomscrolling, and quit picking your skin in the mirror. But don’t force yourself into that early-morning gym routine either if it doesn’t feel genuinely good for you. And please, eat the cupcake instead of leaning into diet culture.
Let yourself step into the New Year free of self-imposed expectations that don’t align with you. Or lifestyle choices and routines that straight up don’t feel authentic to you. This is your life, and only you can choose how to live it.
Draining Tasks And Jobs You’re Not Aligned With
My lovely, life is too short to be throwing so much of your time and energy into anything that’s draining you or not sparking your joy. Your time and energy are way too precious to be wasted on something that you completely dislike. Even if it looks good on paper and may even be a great path for others, if you’re unhappy, it’s not even worth the money or praise. You’re not here to live out someone else’s dreams. And if you’re reading this, I imagine that you’re someone who’s meant to blaze your own trail. And you know what? This New Year is the time to go for it. But oftentimes, to fully go all in on your dreams, you have to let go of the life that isn’t meant for you.
This might entirely mean leaving your job if it’s not in alignment with your dreams, and finally starting your entrepreneurial dreams. It might also mean taking the steps to change careers and pivoting to something more aligned with you. Sometimes, it simply means setting boundaries and not taking on tasks that you’re not genuinely passionate about. You’ve got to protect your energy, my lovely. And honestly, you know deep down what it is that you need to do here. Whatever it is that you’re not aligned with, it’s time to start taking the steps to let it go as we head into the New Year. It’s not yours to carry anymore.
That said, when the universe sees that you’re meant for greatness, but you’re keeping yourself stuck, it will act. So you might as well start taking action on your own terms.
Perfectionism — That All Or Nothing Thinking Needs To GO
I’m not going to lie, I can be quite the perfectionist. My perfectionism has even held me back quite a bit from going for the things that I’ve truly wanted many times. I didn’t want to launch Stridefully without it being completely perfect, and I actually sat with a hosted website that was “coming soon” for 2 years! Until one day, I decided to just start publishing content and go live despite my website’s imperfections. And you know what? I’m glad that I dropped the perfectionism. So it’s time for you to do the same, and let go of that perfectionist mindset before the New Year. Especially as it’s that all-or-nothing thinking that keeps you stuck.
Seriously, don’t even let yourself get into that “all or nothing” attitude in the New Year. You are a human being, and you’re going to have imperfect days. Of course, we should all always be striving to grow and improve. But we also have to let ourselves be imperfect to grow. Besides, having room for growth is actually quite beautiful. Let’s not hold ourselves to impossibly high standards and just do what sets our souls on fire. Let’s acknowledge our humanity when we don’t make it to the yoga mat, because we just “can’t even” today. The same goes for when we get off track from our routine; late nights happen. Noon wakeups happen. And it’s okay.
Oh, and please publish that content that’s been sitting in your drafts. Let it exist in the world, my lovely. You never know who it will resonate with. Even if you believe that it’s imperfect.
Your Past Mistakes
Listen, my lovely, we’re all only human, and we all make mistakes. Whether it be as simple as forgetting our coffee when we were in a hurry, or forgetting about a work assignment until the day it’s due. Or maybe we said the wrong thing at the wrong time, or learned a lesson the hard way. Maybe we fell off the wagon as we were chasing our goals, or we neglected to even begin. And you know what? It’s okay, my lovely. What’s in the past is in the past, and you can’t change it. Don’t let yourself carry the weight of your past mistakes as you move forward into the New Year; just let them go. Allow yourself to move forward and start with a clean slate.
Certainly, you can remember the lessons you’ve learned. But those mistakes are in the past, and they don’t define the present or future. Whether they’re the mistakes of the last year, or even the last 20 to 30 years. It’s past time to forgive yourself and stop dwelling on your mistakes at 2:00 AM. And honestly? You also have to let yourself make mistakes and learn from them moving forward. Laugh them off. Take note of what you can learn from your mistakes. But don’t let any mistake or blunder define you.
One-Sided or Toxic Relationships, Friendships, or Connections
As hard as it can be, sometimes we need to sever ties with others, no matter how much we might care about them. And I’ll be honest with you, it’s hard to glow up when you’re stressing over a romantic interest who can’t even be bothered to send you a “good morning” text. Or when you’re surrounded by people who constantly make you the punchline of their hurtful jokes. The same goes for people whom you pour so much into, and it never seems to be enough for them. Heck, you might even find that some of these people let themselves out of your life, and you’re wondering what happened. And you know what? They did the hard part for you.
Before the New Year begins, I highly recommend severing ties with anyone and everyone who’s dulling your sparkle. Don’t let them stunt your growth as you step into the next chapter of your life. If your best friend has decided to unfollow and block you over the last year, let her go. If your romantic interest has ghosted you or can’t even be bothered to communicate with you properly, stop sending the first message. Or send them a goodbye text. And if you have a group of friends or family members who won’t stop using you as their punchline to every joke? Make it known that you’re tightening up your boundaries, and you’re done with the disrespect.
Of course, you can discuss your boundaries and emotional needs with people before you sever the connection. But don’t just accept an apology without evidence that they’re going to change their behavior. Because the person you’re becoming does not tolerate any form of disrespect. But honestly? Some connections aren’t even worth trying to save. And you’ll intuitively know which ones aren’t.
Physical Clutter
Let’s be real, most of us have accumulated a lot of stuff over time, and we may not even realize just how overwhelming it really is. We all have once-loved clothing pieces we never reach for anymore. Or a water bottle we haven’t filled in years. Not to mention those oddly specific impulse purchases that are still sitting brand-new in their packaging. Or that we’ve only used once or twice. Not to mention items that aren’t even usable anymore, like those expired pantry items and that collection of dried-out Sharpies. So let’s let go of all of them before the New Year, and walk into the next chapter of our lives feeling a bit lighter.
Besides, your once-loved pieces deserve a second life in the home of someone who will love them like you once did. The same goes for those little trinkets you simply didn’t have as much use for as you thought you would. Give them to a friend that you know would love them, or donate them for a stranger to fall in love with at the thrift store. Rather than letting them just hang in your closet or sit in a cabinet. Heck, you can even sell them on Poshmark for some extra cash. Just be sure that you’re letting go of items that don’t bring you pure joy. And as far as those dried-out pens, expired items in your pantry, and that broken necklace from Forever 21 go, let them retire.
Any Shit That’s Dulling Your Sparkle!
Honestly, we’re all carrying our own baggage that isn’t ours to carry anymore. Or maybe it was never ours to carry to begin with. And you know what? Now is the time to drop all of the BS that’s dulling our sparkle. Let it all go before the New Year arrives, and walk into the New Year without the burden of what’s been making you unhappy for so long. Especially when it’s not even aligned with you. Whether it’s an expectation someone else places upon you, or an expectation you’ve placed upon yourself. Whatever it is that’s weighing on you, it’s time to drop that baggage at the door before you head into the next chapter of your life.
Your time and energy are way too precious to be wasting any of it on what’s making you unhappy. Your potential for abundance is unlimited, but your time and energy are not unlimited resources. And honestly? You need to start focusing them on your desires, instead of trying to divide your attention and trying to make the nonsense work alongside your dream life. It’s time to cut the crap, my lovely. And don’t you dare think of looking back at what you’re leaving behind.
Stop wasting your time on shit that dulls your sparkle, and start investing your time into the things that make you shine.
Letting go of what doesn’t serve us is how we make room for what does, my lovely. Let’s make room for abundance by clearing out what fills us with a scarcity mindset.
Conclusion
A New Year is such a wonderful time to start a new era in your life and start fresh. January 1st represents a clean slate and a brand new chapter in our lives. But honestly, for a true clean slate, we need to let go of what is no longer serving us before the New Year arrives. Or before we step into any new era of our lives. And for the record, even if you’re not big on celebrating a New Year, you can apply this same concept to any transformative period in your life. And honestly? It doesn’t matter if that period is starting on January 1st or August 13th. You can drop the baggage at any point along your journey through the year.
What are you looking to drop as we head into the New Year? What do you need to let go of to truly flourish in the next era of your life? What are you ready to free yourself of, even if it’s scary, before January 1st arrives? I’d love to hear your story.
And do you want to know a fun fact about me? As I was working on this very post, the universe forced me to put in my two-week notice from my day job of 5 years. Due to circumstances beyond my control. And as terrified as I am on the practical level, I know that the universe has my back. I was only keeping myself small by staying until I “felt ready” to leave. It’s time to commit to my creative path.
Thank you for sharing this post. I am one of those people that takes care of others before myself and so many things you mention describe me. You made me think harder about some changes in the new year.
Great post and really good tips!
I appreciated how you framed letting go not just as mindset work, but as releasing emotional and relational weight too. Clearing internal patterns and external drains feels like the real reset most people miss going into a new year.
These are great tips and I am sure I will use some of them.