Prepping for Success in the New Year 

Shandra Martinez

| 3 min read

Attractive smiling businesswoman view through glass wall writing ideas creates personal tasks to-do list on post-it sticky notes, easy and effective way to manage and remember important issues concept
A new year is a perfect time to plan for the year ahead, create goals and identify habits we want to develop. Looking forward with anticipation can increase our feelings of happiness and writing down our goals make us more likely to accomplish them. Below are three ways you can prep for success in 2022.

Develop micro habits

Use micro habits as building blocks to create more complex life changes. Research suggests that developing small habits can lead to new behaviors. Begin by breaking down the habit you want to create into smaller, achievable action steps. This might be doing mediation before or after you have your coffee or brushing your teeth every morning. Remember the 21/90 rule. If you stick with something for 21 days, it becomes a habit. Continue doing it for another 90 days, and it becomes a lifestyle change. Here are some tips to get started on developing micro habits:
  • Identify the habit.
  • Break the habit into micro habits.
  • Establish a routine.
  • Include positive self-talk.
  • Celebrate.
Learn more in the Creating Micro Habits to Achieve Big Goals Virtual Well-Being webinar.

Make a vision board

A vision board is a visual representation of your dreams and goals. It can be created with pictures cut out of magazines or downloaded from a computer. The images can even be drawn. Here are some tips for creating your own:
  • Determine the type of vision board you want to create.
  • Ideas include goals, words of gratitude, places you want to visit and notes to your future self.
  • Use pictures from magazines and websites, or draw your own images, to create a visual representation of what you want to do, have and be.
  • Display the vision board in a place where it can remind you of where you want to be in life.
Learn more in the Using Vision Boards to Re-Energize Your Goals Virtual Well-Being webinar.

Create a seasonal bucket list

Bucket lists are a great way to inspire you to accomplish goals. They don’t have to be lifetime dreams; they can be something you want to do this winter, like taking part in more outdoor activities. Your bucket list could include things you want to learn, such as playing an instrument or making homemade pasta. Whatever the focus, here are some ideas for creating your bucket list: 
  • List activities you want to do and add checkboxes and pictures to decorate it.
  • Display your bucket list in a place you will see it often to remind you to complete activities before the end of the bucket list time frame.
Feeling inspired? Learn more about how to prep for a successful 2022 in this Blue Cross® Virtual Well-Being webinar. You can also sign up for future employer-focused and general interest webinars here, where you’ll find past sessions and resources. Related:
Photo credit: Getty Images

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