Monday, 1/1/24: Happy Monday and WELCOME 2024!
Happy Monday!
It’s a new week, which means it’s time for your next Monday motivation newsletter.
Read on below for some steps to a happier Monday and some positive thoughts to get your week started.
Three Steps to a Happier Monday
Each newsletter starts with three prompts to inspire gratitude and simple intention setting. Take a moment and jot down answers to these three questions. To give an example, I share my answers below.
Step 1: What are three things I appreciated from the weekend?
Step 2: What is one thing I can be excited about today?
Step 3: What is my intention for this week?
GRATITUDE: I’m thankful for beautiful Florida weather, safe travels for Matt and a fun New Year’s Eve with my parents and Matt!
TODAY: I’m most excited to have the day to make 2024 plans and go on a long walk!
INTENTION: My intention this week is to enjoy one more week at home.
Okay, your turn! And if you want to share your three steps, I am all ears. 🙂
Meaningful Musings: Hello, 2024!
WELCOME 2024!
Let’s take a moment and acknowledge how right it feels that the first day of the year is falling on a Monday. 
This won’t happen again until 2029!
2023 was an incredible year, filled with a lot of milestones, changes and “firsts.” Matt and I got engaged! I moved out of the apartment I’d called home for the last five years and into a charming new one. I hit a personal savings goal. I ran a half marathon! I traveled new places for friends’ weddings and visited to IRELAND for the first time. I read some really great books. There are also friends I wish I would’ve seen more of this year and times I stressed way too much about work or the little things.
But all in all, 2023 was a really great one and I can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store.
People say there is nothing magical about January 1. After all, you can turn the page and have a fresh start on any day! And while I see merit in that (don’t wait for a new year to make a change!), I also think there is more inherent momentum and special fresh start energy today than other days.
There isn’t another time of the year when I get this giddy, anticipatory feeling thinking about the next 12 months stretching out ahead of me with open arms and ample blank spaces just waiting to be filled up. There’s so much can happen in a year.
If you are feeling that sense of excitement and anticipation for this new year too, let me offer you some of my favorite activities to do on Jan. 1. Below is a list of 24 things (for 2024!) to kick off the new year. The idea is not to do all these things – or even a majority of them.
But rather, my hope is that by scanning through the list below you may find 1, 2 or even 3 things that speak to you and are what you need today.
24 Ways to Kickoff 2024:
- Make your bed. The best feeling!
- Write a few pages in a journal, reflecting on 2023 and looking ahead to 2024.
- Text four friends Happy New Year.
- Start a new book. I just bought This Time Next Year and can’t wait to start it today – it is New Year’s themed!
- Take yourself to Target or your favorite stationary store and pick out a new planner/notebook.
- Write friends and families’ birthdays in your new planner.
- Buy birthday cards for friends and family, putting them in an easy-to-remember spot so they are ready to go when you need them.
- Drink an entire bottle of water and fill it right back up.
- Go on a long walk outside to either call a friend, listen to something (I’m loving end-of-year podcast episodes like this) or – gasp – just daydream without anything in your ears.
- Have some fun ordering new skincare or makeup products, refreshing your routine for the new year.
- Decide on a WORD for the year. I’m doing this today!
- Draft a new budget.
- Write out tomorrow’s to-do list.
- Scroll through your camera roll and print out a few favorite photos from the past year.
- Cleanout ONE closet or drawer.
- Lay out your clothes for tomorrow.
- Get cozy on the couch and start a new TV show. My mom and I are loving the newest season of The Crown!
- Put away holiday decorations and enjoy that clean slate feeling.
- Alternatively, decide to leave up holiday decorations a little longer and linger in front of your tree.
- Make a 24 in 24 list, or 24 things you want to do in 2024.
- Record a voice memo to yourself with your hopes for next year and plan to listen back to it at the end of the year.
- Decide on something you want to do or don’t want to do every day for the next 30 days. For example, I love starting the year with a ‘no-shop January’ to reset after the holiday season.
- Find a new recipe that you’re excited about and make it for dinner. Feels like the perfect day for my favorite soup!
- Make yourself a TA-DA list of things you did in 2023 and bask in yourself for a moment. You are amazing
Again – the idea is not to do all of these things or even most of them. But my hope is that reading through this list prompts you to do one or two things that set your new year off right. It’s going to be a great one!
Excited for the year ahead with you! Happy 2024!
Picture of the Week
Spending the last day of the year with the best!
That’s all for today! I hope you found something in today’s newsletter that sparked motivation, made you smile or inspired a positive Monday thought. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small… a fulfilling week starts with just one fulfilling day. You’ve got this!
Let’s make it a great Monday!
Megan