5 tips to get the new year off to a good start

Dernière mise à jour de l'article le 17 September 2025

A new year means a new resolution…

When we arrive in January, it feels like a fresh start. Everything can start afresh … and … we make new resolutions to ensure that this year is OUR year.
And yet … a few weeks, a few months later, our old habits resurface, we’ve put away in the corner of our minds those beautiful resolutions that made us dream of a better life.

If you’ve decided that this new year … won’t be like the previous ones and you’re looking for practical ways to start this new chapter of your life in the right conditions, here are 5 tips to follow.

You’ve made good resolutions, you have the best of intentions… but will you be able to stick to your wise decisions?

Tip No. 1 – Have you already taken stock of the last 12 months?

Before starting your new chapter in life, it’s important to take stock of what happened in the previous chapter. So that you don’t repeat what you no longer want for yourself or, on the contrary, keep what worked well for you.

I suggest you take 1 hour to take stock of the 10 areas of your life.
To help you with this exercise, I suggest you (re)read the article The Life Review: an essential tool for your personal fulfilment or listen to episode 33 – How to Create a Balanced Life in all areas of life of the podcast Le Quart d’Heure d’Inspir’Action.

As a bonus, you’ll find the Wheel of Life tool to help you take stock.

Tip 2 – Think 12 months ahead and imagine what you’d like to achieve

Very often, when we give up on our good resolutions, it’s because we don’t immediately see the results of our first actions. That’s why it’s a good idea to visualise those long-awaited results to train our brains.
Our brains don’t really know the difference between reality and visualisation, and using this technique can help you develop creative energy, motivate you and evenfind solutions to the problems you face.

Give yourself 15/20 minutes to project yourself 12 months ahead, once you’ve achieved your goals.
Come on, I’m being kind … to help you, you can listen to episode 35 – How Visualisation helps you achieve your life goals, where I suggest a visualisation exercise lasting about 10 minutes. Then go and complete the Wheel of Life, where you can project yourself forward to 12 months.

Tip 3 – Check that your project is aligned with the 10 areas of life

Have you come up with lots of ideas for the New Year? That’s great! But … are you sure that these great projects are really in tune with your life?
That these are the projects you should be putting in place first? Ahem …

It’s as simple as that. As you might expect, I’ve got a solution for you! I suggest you check the alignment of your project ideas by asking yourself a few questions (which you can find out by listening to episode 36 of the podcast – How to align your project with your life).

Tip 4 – Write effective goals that are aligned with your values.

It’s very simple.
I suggest you write down your objectives on paper using a project management method, the SMART method, but applied to personal development.

Did you know that it has been proven that writing your objectives on paper can increase your chances of achieving them (+42%).

So there’s nothing like a notebook and a pen to help us keep our resolutions!

Take a look at the blog article How to set effective & aligned goals using the SMART method, and you’ll know all about this method!

And lastly, tip no. 5 – Monitor your progress and appreciate how far you’ve come

Take regular stock of what you’ve done to move towards your life goals and celebrate the small successes that keep you moving forward.

Don’t forget to appreciate your progress, the road you’ve decided to travel throughout this year. Admire the road and not just the “End” sign.

I suggest that you set up a little daily routine: every day, write down the 3 most important actions that you need to carry out and take stock in the evening to readjust your day for the next day … and don’t forget to note the little moments of gratitude during the day.

If you’re looking for a tool to help you in your daily life, I invite you to discover the Mon Journal d’inspir’Action notebook, which will provide you with a framework for organising your days.

I hope these 5 tips will help you start the new year on the right foot.

And above all, don’t forget that you can always start whenever you like…. No need to wait until January 😁

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