How you can make the most of the new year.

With the ringing in of twenty-twenty-three comes the resolution to make the most of the new year. Everywhere any of us look at the moment, someone is talking about how we can go the extra mile.

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With the ringing in of twenty-twenty-three comes the resolution to make the most of the new year. Everywhere any of us look at the moment, someone is talking about how we can go the extra mile. Many of us will have already tried and failed at our various resolutions, and, honestly, who can blame us? But you’ll be glad to read that I’m not here to talk about hitting the gym five nights a week or cutting out carbs.

Instead, here are a few everyday things you can do at any time to make the most of the new year. From visiting local tourist destinations, to simply saving for the future, these are just a few smaller-scale goals you can set for the next twelve months.

If you are in the mood for a more resolution-based post, check out this article written for The Grumpy Olive. Or, if you’re looking for ways to boost your mental health, this article is for you.


Six Ways to make the most of the new year.

Spruce up your space!

One of my favourite ways to make the most of the new year is to work on my home. Be it organisation, redecorating or simply spending time on a deep clean. Our home or space has a massive impact on our mood, behaviour, motivation, and even our stress levels. The visuals, the colour of the area, the lighting, the fresh air, and even the noise all contribute to our varying levels of calm. So, what better time to breathe life back into our space than the new year? It’s time to open the curtains, air out the bed sheets and take down those Christmas decorations! 

Here are a just few simple ways you can give your space a much-needed makeover. 

  1. Declutter! Get rid of the things you no longer need, clothes that no longer fit, and old bank statements. The new year is the perfect time to wipe the slate clean.
  2. Rearrange. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes simply moving furniture around or switching out decorations can make a room feel like it’s brand new. 
  3. Here’s a fun tip to really get picky with what you really wear. Take all your clothing out of your wardrobe, and put them back in with the hangers facing inwards. When you wear something, hang it back up with the hanger facing outwards. By as soon as June you’ll be able to see what you wear and what you don’t. And if you don’t wear it, either thrift or gift it. While this tip isn’t necessarily about sprucing up your space, it’s the first step to keeping a clean and organised wardrobe. 
  4. If you have the time, money, and skill, why not add a new coat of paint? You can play it safe and simply renew the colour, or you can try something completely different! 
  5. Add a throw pillow, a new rug, accessorise a surface or even add a mirror.
  6. Hang artwork on the walls or switch out the old for some new.

Put some money away for the future. 

While it’s important to travel, and make memories with friends, it’s also sensible to think of your future. I’m not advising you to hoard every penny you have in your savings account. After all, life would be boring if all we did was pay the bills. But if you’re in the fortunate position to have disposable income after the essentials, be mindful to put away a portion into a high-interest savings account. 

Not sure where to start or what you can afford to save? Calculator.me can help you understand where you stand when it comes to your finances. By using their savings calculator I was able to determine how much my savings would grow over a period by calculating the current APR and inflation rate.

Make the most of local tourist destinations.

This year I vow to explore more of my home country. I’ve lived in Northern Ireland for years, and yet there’s still so much of it I’ve yet to explore. And I’ve barely set foot over the border into the south. Speaking of my home country, we’ve so much beauty and experience on our doorstep. Yet so many of us still choose to go abroad on vacation. While travelling can be an amazing experience, it’s often expensive and stressful. 

Next time you have a few days off, why not research some local nature reserves, hiking trails, museums or even theme parks? Who knows what you might find! 

If you’re from Northern Ireland, here are just a few things to do on your next staycation.

Consider going to therapy.

Therapy gives us the life skills we need for ongoing self-reflection and improvement. You mightn’t feel like your need therapy, but trust me when I say; everybody does. Even just a little. Through therapy, we can learn to recognise and combat our triggers and impulses. And we can even learn to successfully manage stressful or triggering situations that may occur in the future. 

There’s a saying I often refer to when people ask me why I go to therapy. I go because those before we wouldn’t. In short, I go to therapy so I can learn more about myself, and that includes the good, bad and the ugly. 

Therapy can be sought in person, online, in a group or even over the phone. If two people sitting in a room don’t work for you, there are so many other avenues to follow.

Volunteer with local charities.

While it’s great to be able to give financially, not all of us have the means to do so. But we can volunteer our time. Research has shown that giving back to something you’re passionate about can have a lasting impact. Both on yourself and your community. Volunteering regularly is associated with lowered blood pressure and even lowered stress levels. It makes us feel good about ourselves, and this in turn can help boost our self-esteem and confidence. 

Not sure where to begin? Get online and do some research. There are any amount of charities for you to choose from animal shelters to homeless outreach programmes. 

Take some time to review the previous year.

There’s no better way to make the most of the new year than to take time to reflect on the previous one. And remember to be honest with yourself! Try to avoid making yourself feel bad about how the last year went, and instead think of ways to learn from it. This is an opportunity to take a look at all areas of your life including your career, health, fitness, personal care, friendships and any side hustles you have. Where are you now and where would you like to be in the next three hundred and sixty-five days?

Above all else remember to have fun with it. This isn’t an exercise in discipline or self-depreciation, rather it’s an opportunity to expand upon your achievements.

And don’t forget to take stock of all those beautiful memories you made too.


How else are you planning to make the most of the new year?

There are so many other ways you can make this year the best one yet! More than I had time to include in this article! But I’d love to hear some of your suggestions in the comment section below.

26 comments

  1. These are great ideas for making the most of the new year! I’m all for decluttering, and it is nice being a tourist in your own country because there are so many things you most likely haven’t seen. Also, that’s a good note about therapy because therapy can be beneficial for everyone.

  2. These are so many great ideas. I have definitely re-organised a few spaces and always makes me feel so much better. This year I am focusing more on myself and my growth. So I am excited for this year! Thank you for sharing.

    Lauren x

  3. great list! I definitely enjoy being a local tourist in my city lately, so I agree with that one. Therapy is also going great, I’m glad you added this to the list. I don’t see many people add therapy and real self work to their New Years lists, so thank you 🙂

  4. I’m looking to put some money away where I can. You never know when something might crop up and you need some extra cash.

  5. Loved all your suggestions in making the most out of this brand new year, especially the part when you mentioned about taking some time to review the previous year. For me, one of the significant ways to have a better year is to reflect on the last and evaluate. Be wary of those wrong choices and stay diligent in keepin on with the positive ones 🙂

  6. I have really been trying to get more organized – cleaning my home and getting my finances in order. I think the cold winter months are a great time to get things done!

  7. These are all such great ideas!!! I’ve already started decluttering and it feels amazing!

  8. I like that you don’t make any mention of New Year’s resolutions! This is what most lists like this usually emphasize. Your list is better because it is more focused on realistic actions one can take, right not, to make a difference.

  9. Great tips! I’ve already started on two of these, we recently decluttered quite a bit and re-arranged a little.

  10. Great ideas here, thank you for sharing! I actually did sort my wardrobe the first week of January and boy did I feel better for it. Love the volunteering for charities idea too, would like to do this, thank you

  11. These are all great suggestions. I would love to explore the locals more this year. Looking back on my past years I haven’t been really exploring the locals. Its time to do that.

  12. Putting away some money is my main goal for 2023. Saving money is important we all know that but its hard to stay consistent of it.

  13. wow!!! what a great clothing tip! That would be a great way for me to get picky about what I wear. Thanks for the great tips! happy new year! 🙂

  14. My husband and I always take the time to go over our finances and goals for the year in January. We did do a bit of cleaning, organizing, decluttering, and sprucing up already and have plans for a bit more as well.

  15. I’m all about starting a new year fresh in a decluttered home. I totally agree that one of my favourite ways to make the most of the new year is to work on my home, too!

  16. Yes, I love the new year because it is a clean slate. For me, reflecting on the past year is an ongoing process because I actually like to reflect on my day to day. However, this year is also the first year I am jumping on the word of the year trend. I am not big on resolutions so I felt like this is something that I can manage to do to help me in 2023. I also agree with putting money away. Having money in the bank truly helps with stress especially these days when everything feels so expensive!!!

    Maureen |

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