"I don’t know about you, but I’m over the New Year’s cycle. You know the one: making plans and resolutions for the year on January 1, forgetting about the goals by summertime, and then spending the holiday season feeling so busy, stressed, or unmotivated that we think, eh, I’ll wait until the new year to focus on my body or take action to live the life I want. Here’s my PSA: You can start showing up as your highest self now. Yes, now—even with a packed social schedule, drained bank account, and Christmas cookies that can’t be skipped. There are two important reasons you should focus on becoming your best self now (that don’t have anything to do with restricting the Christmas cookies, BTW).
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For one, we should all program our brains to stop waiting for Monday or the new year or when we’re “ready” to actually live the life we want. Waiting for January is another way you’re tricking your brain into thinking you’re not already good enough to be your highest self (spoiler: you are). Secondly, it’s important we intentionally connect with ourselves (instead of letting hectic schedules take over and living unintentionally like years past. So if you want to level up your life now instead of waiting for New Year’s, here are five power moves that will help you glow up by December 31.
“We should all program our brains to stop waiting for Monday, or the new year, or when we’re ‘ready’ to actually live the life we want.”
1. Do a Brain Dump on Who Your Highest Self Is
You need to know the “why” behind the effort that you put in to reach your goals. Nothing is more motivating than when we can clearly visualize who we are meant to be. Plus, this clarity is crucial to setting goals that are actually worth working toward. We often implement rituals, start programs, or make goals thinking they’re good for us, but they do not give us the life we want. “Winter arc” TikToks will show creators implementing 5:30 a.m. wake-up times, strength training gym sessions, and high-protein diets. All of those things are fine, but are they in line with how you envision your highest self? Maybe your highest self has slow, relaxing mornings and prefers Pilates and Yoga.
In order to get clear on who your highest self is, do a brain dump, asking yourself questions like: What does she do for work, where does she live, who does she live with, how does she feel every day? Also consider the smaller details like what she wears, what she listens to on her way to work, what she eats in a day, how she spends time with her friends, etc. The more details you come up with, the more action steps you can begin taking right now.
2. Create Daily and Weekly Goals
A common mistake is only setting an end goal (i.e., “heal my gut,” “make $5000 a month,” “have a big friend group,” “get a promotion,” “lose weight,” “get in a relationship…”) and not setting all of the little micro-goals that are the stepping stones to get to the end goal. So once you know who your highest self is and what you’re working toward, create daily and weekly habits to actually work toward them. Maybe it’s meal prepping every Sunday, going on one date a week, falling asleep by 10 p.m. every night, or setting a regular financial check-in. Ask yourself what you need to do on a weekly and daily basis to get you where you want to be. For example, if you want a promotion at the year-end review, maybe you set up weekly check-ins with your boss or elevate your daily to-do list for more productivity. The micro-goals that we can do on a daily or weekly basis are the action steps to get to a “leveled-up” life.
3. Make Decisions Based on Long-Term Joy Instead of Short-Term Reward
We often confuse a short-term dopamine hit with pleasure or a mood boost; we snack on cookies, open TikTok, or watch TV when we need some comfort or we’re feeling stressed out. If you haven’t done enough to spark joy throughout the day, the brain will crave a dopamine hit. Just like if your blood sugar’s low, your body will crave the fastest, quickest sources of glucose (starchy carbohydrates or sugar) because it’s the quickest form of energy, not because it’s the best long-term for energy. I think of it as the same thing with dopamine. When your body lacks those happy hormones, it’s going to want the quickest, fastest form of a dopamine hit (a delicious food or scrolling on your phone). And just like those starchy carbohydrates, it’s not the best option long-term and can even mess with your happiness, just like starchy carbohydrates can mess with your blood sugar over time.
There is a major difference between this feels good right now and this will make me happier. Sometimes, these quick dopamine hits drain our energy, lowering our mood, so we don’t feel good and struggle more with working toward what we want to accomplish. Every time you eat something, say yes to plans, or pick a workout, think, “Will this make me 1 percent happier or 1 percent less happy tomorrow?” Get used to making decisions based on long-term happiness more than short-term pleasure.
4. Read One Chapter (or 10 Pages) of a Book Tailored to Your Dream Life Every Day
IMO, reading is the smartest investment of your time and the greatest hack because you have incredible access to other points of view or advice on any goal. Every day, prioritize reading a specific amount (to hold yourself accountable) and get a book specific to your dream life. Find a book on entrepreneurship or finance, learn all about how to be physically healthier, get a book that can help you heal, or read a memoir from someone whose life you admire. But it doesn’t have to be a self-help book to level up your life. Getting outside of yourself can be incredibly powerful for self-improvement and feeling your best; fiction can also improve joy, creativity, or critical thinking (all things you need to live your best life). The important part is to read every single day, and you will notice such a difference in the way you view the world.
5. Romanticize Getting Sunlight Every Single Morning
When the body is exposed to sunlight, it suppresses melatonin production (the sleep hormone), which then improves energy. Because it also works like an internal clock, it also knows to begin melatonin production about 12 hours after exposure, so getting sunlight first thing in the morning is crucial for energy during the day and also crucial for being able to fall asleep and sleep deeply at night. Sunlight is also the body’s main source of vitamin D, which is also associated with mood and energy. If you tend to lack motivation or feel lethargic this time of year, prioritizing morning sunlight will benefit how you feel day-to-day and your ability to reach goals. If you live in an area where there’s limited (or no) sun this time of year, get a vitamin D lamp.
I say romanticize it because routines never stick if you see them as a chore instead of something to look forward to. Instead of another thing you have to check off your to-do list, romanticize your morning routines to include sunlight: play a rom-com playlist and go for a walk in the mornings, put on your jacket and sit on your balcony while you sip coffee, or light a candle and turn on your favorite holiday movie while you sit in front of the vitamin D lamp. And on really cold days, sitting in front of the window while you eat breakfast can make a difference.
Josie Santi, Senior Wellness Editor & Podcast Host
Josie has been an editor and writer for The Everygirl since 2017 and became a certified Holistic Health Coach in 2020. As the Senior Wellness Editor, she oversees, writes, and edits wellness content, as well as reports on wellness trends and interviews the industry’s leading experts. Listen to Josie on The Everygirl Podcast.
