Finding calm amid the noise: Making the New Year Truly Yours
The world feels incredibly noisy right now. As the New Year dawned, a torrent of advice—both good and bad—arrived in a giant wave. From motivational mantras to step-by-step strategies promising transformation in a month or less, the flood of opinions is deafening.
Personally, I feel like I’m standing in front of a hose gushing water:
“Do this. Do that. Do it this way.”
“Make this the best year ever.”
“This is your year. A year to remember.”
The truth is, all of this advice is valid.
Taken in bite-sized chunks, it can be useful, valuable, and even life-changing.
But navigating this minefield of advice can be challenging—especially when you’re trying to set the tone for the year ahead, decide what’s right for you, and figure out whether you even want to take on external advice, all before the end of January.
Can you see where I’m coming from? Decision overload.
It’s easy to feel disoriented when faced with so many suggestions. So, I wanted to pop up like a meerkat to offer a fresh perspective on the “New Year, New Me” phenomenon and help shine a light on what might be the best way forward for you.
Turn Inwards Before Going Outwards
Before listening to anyone else, I recommend listening to yourself. You’re the only one who truly knows what you want. Tune into what your heart tells you and see what message(s) come back.
Ask yourself: Is my vision for the year ahead truly mine?
For example, adding “launch a podcast” to your to-do list just because “everyone else is doing it” isn’t the right approach. That’s simply following the crowd. Your vision for the year must be uniquely yours—and only you can determine what that is.
The goal here is to avoid wasting time or resources chasing the wrong dream and instead start the year with a laser-focused vision of your end goal.
Is This a New Goal or a Recurring One?
If your goal has appeared on previous New Year’s lists, ask yourself why it hasn’t been crossed off yet (and please don’t panic if it has, at this stage you just want to understand why it’s still here)
If it’s a new goal, reflect on why it’s there.
Understanding whether your goal is new, or recurring can uncover the motivations behind it. That motivation can serve as fuel to take the action needed to make it a reality.
If it’s a recurring goal, ask yourself why it didn’t succeed in the past. What roadblocks prevented progress? What happened? Why did it not become a reality? Recognising patterns can help you prepare and anticipate any potential challenges
Once you’ve clarified what you truly want and addressed potential pitfalls, you’ll be in a better position to consider external advice (if you decide to take any).
Who Should You Listen To?
I recommend reviewing advice from sources you trust. And please do remember that not all advice is created equal—some suggestions will resonate with you, while others won’t. Experiment, adapt, and discover what fits your unique needs.
Remember that the most important voice to listen to is your own. Stay true to yourself, tune out the excess noise and start the year with clarity and confidence on a path that’s genuinely yours.
Go get ‘em tiger. 🐅
