To be honest, every year since 2020, I have held off on setting new goals or making any big changes in my life in the beginning of the year. I wait until Spring before doing any of that. And it has definitely taken the anxiety of the whole “new year new me” away for me. I used to get real anxious about coming up with resolutions and making all these big changes in my life; now I just let it happen organically with no pressure.
Yes, halt the hustle of the New Year!! I am now retired so my January and February will include the following on a daily basis.......Bible Study, reading for pleasure, a nap, a cup of tea. I might just make a habit tracker for just those items!!
I completely agree with your thoughts on winter esp January and February. I started a garden a few years back and started paying more attention to the seasons and how plants behaved. For most things the cold winter is a season of rest. This year was the first year I applied it to my goals. January and February I only had goals to continue with the habits I already had established and to track the things I wanted to work on to see where my baseline was. Then in March I felt so much more motivated to get things done and accomplished. Everything has a season and it's important to remember the season of calm and rest. Loved the video.
Time to hygge down for the winter. For me that means more time reading by the fire, baking, & leaning into my Bible studies even more. I agree that the pressure to set a lot of goals at the beginning of the year and expecting them to be realized immediately isn't very helpful in the long run. I prefer to create rhythms and routines over schedules & goals. It works much better for me. I'm trying to slow down my life and prioritize relationships over busyness. I do the one-word thing, and I know my word for 2025. God gave it to me last month. I look forward to seeing how He makes it bloom in my life. Thanks for the motivation.
Yes, I understand how you feel about winter and slowing down. It's because we go by the Gregorian calendar, instead of the Julian calendar. The Julian calendar went by the seasons with March/April being at the beginning of the year (e.g "spring") while the winter months were at the end of the year. The Gregorian calendar is tracked by the Earth's rotation around the sun. It includes leap years. This is the calendar we use today. Personally, the Julian calendar makes more sense to me.
New subscriber, found you from the Tamra collaboration. I could not agree more with your wisdom about winter. I’m in my 60s and have always been guided by the seasons. Cozier, reflective projects in the winter months, kick into higher gear when the Sun comes back in the spring 🤗
You're totally right about the new year planning. Nothing in winter points to it intuitively being a time for new beginnings (apart from the calendar and new year energy that comes with that). By nature, it's a time to slow down, nestle in, and rest, so for this reason last year---for the first time--I did not establish any goals for the new year and it was game changing. Not working against my body's natural desires to do less in the cold and dark enabled me to rejuvenate after the holidays and start spring with that fresh energy and get stuff done.
Whoa! When you mentioned agriculture, it brought back to my mind a conversation my husband and I were having when reading/studying Psalm 1. This makes so much sense and is something that I will implement. I have let go of the hustle when it comes to the new year. So, I may be joining you on this journey :).
In Australia winter is calm and lower energy. But December, January and February, basically our summer is always chaos. It starts with Christmas, then new year and its goals etc and the new school year starts in Feb. So I would love these months to slow down so I can enjoy the summer. 🥰
I am truly grateful for this video. I have never given much thought to seasonal awareness so to speak although I know that some adhere to a Spring start which makes so much sense. That piece just added so much value to me. My birthday is in April and that’s generally what I refer to as my personal New Year but I’m going to lean more into that and pay attention to the seasons that God has laid out for us. I was lead to watch this video in its entirety for a reason. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. ❤❤❤
Yes i know exactlty what you mean! A few years ago i did away with feeling any pressure to set new goals in January. I actually celebrate new years on my birthday which is in July. Any new goals i set for the year are made then and thats when i start new habits and routines. Winter is so much more relaxing now. In January i just keep rolling with what i started back in the summer. Now, i can just look forward to the fun of setting up and starting a new planner and working on my other hobbies.
In the 80's, when I began college, I learned to goal set. I had never heard of such a thing... or wasn't taught. I discovered the power behind goal setting at this time in my life. There have been years I chose not to set goals and it turned out I became a little bored and in few areas I regressed just a little bit. At age 57, I have a system but yours is very impressive. I am listening for tips on how to improve mine. I found you yesterday, and so, I am very interested and it's been fun going through your videos. God bless your new year.
I too feel like I have to qualify my statements about the reading slump I have been in for a few years. It's not that I don't read it's that my reading isn't as bountiful as I want it to be. I completely relate. I still am at about 38 books but when I was reading between 80-100 a year 38 is a slump for me. Thank you for sharing this was really helpful and inspiring for me to really get my life organized so I can do what God is calling me to do and steward the time He gives me well. Yes I feel like resting in the winter is so helpful.
Elyssa, thank you for being so candid about your thoughts and feelings. I was forced to retire about five years ago and have been in a downward spiral ever since-probably scanning all six areas of my life. Currently I don’t have all the meetings and projects to fill up my time. My health has gone downhill and still is. My purpose in getting involved in planning & journaling is to track all my health problems. Dr visits and the financial changes. I’m going through. It is very overwhelming. I had been saving accord to my plan for after I retired but one major health problem has wiped out all my savings. Mentally I’m very depressed and anxious for what comes next. I have several planners and journals I’m working on and yourself videos (comments) have helped me a lot. Most videos are targeting younger people but your comments, while still being focused on your personal experiences, gave me some potential direction. I look forward to hearing more. 💜😊
I’m so sorry you’re going through such a difficult season, Deborah. I pray that things turn around for you soon 💕 And I’m happy if my videos can be any kind of sunshine and inspiration you need ☺️
I absolutely think it makes sense! You might enjoy some of the goal setting videos from Makselife because the owner Sierra Friend totally discusses her goal setting and it's totally different from what you would expect from the owner of a goal setting planner company! She uses January to build her annual goals. It's like a pause month for her to reset and begin slowly. I LOVEEEE that because December is just so chaotic with the excitement of Christmas. And I have a lot of planners so it's nice to see a fellow multi-planner user he he. (Just came across your channel, so HI!)
Yes! I receive that! Certain animals hibernate in the winter months and where it is cold the earth is taking time to renew, so should we! Yes I’m definitely down with the hygge for the cold season, coming into bloom bursting forth with new ideas, goals, and plans in the spring! Definitely a new view for me 🤔Thank you, I love it!
Some traumatic events since the time I first posted last month have had this Spring start for the new year really resonating with me. I couldn’t even begin to follow the traditional new year new goals January start this year. With that on my mind I found a book you may be interested in adding to your TBR. Wintering by Katherine May.
Totally agree with you - I have been staying at my mums (she broke a hip) and won't get back home until the 30th December so definitely won't be setting my planners up - I am not going to do any goals until March - just enjoy the "chill"
I completely agree with keeping winter cozy! For several years now I’ve been wishing we could celebrate Christmas at the end of winter instead of the beginning of it so we can enjoy the coziness of Fall a little longer before we transition to the bustle of the Christmas season. Then the new year is here and it’s back to business as usual. Since we can’t move Christmas, I love the idea of just creating a cozy winter atmosphere, so count me in! 🤍
I’m trying to decide which planner to go into for the upcoming year 2025. Last year I was into the Hobanichi Cousin and Weeks. I ordered it from the Website which cost a fortune in international shipping. I really enjoyed checking out your planner stack for 2025. I liked your reading journal. I also love that room you’re filming in, very inspiring. That edited update was Epic, I immediately subscribed to your Chanel. My goal is to read more books in 2025. Thank you for a great planner Line up!
YES!! I need to do that this year especially because I'm about to have a surgery so I will definitely need the calm to extend into the new year. I always try to do too much at the beginning of the year and then snow and icy conditions stop me in my tracks. Then I get down on myself when I really need to just relax and stay in the coziness of winter. Thank you for sharing your thoughts because you have inspired me to consider this and see how things go.
My Bible Study like yours for next year arrived Friday I am so excited We really do need to get a group together God meets us where we are so it is nice to hear what others learned
Agree!! After 30 years of Sept-June planning as a teacher I am used to July/August as my reset months. About mid-August I would get really psyched to plan the next year. I tried annual planning but got stressed by all the hype about planning, resolution-making etc. that goes with annual planning so I bought an undated 12 month teacher planner and reverted to September start. I re-labeled the auxiliary pages to meet my needs. For examples I use the seating chart to enter the titles or books I read and I use the marking register to keep track of my routines. Who said we have to start our yearly plan in January. Why not start it in your birthday or anniversary month? Think out of the box! Don't let culture define even your planning for your future!!!!!
I am a member of the HB90 Community/Club, Sarra Cannon from HeartBreathings. It really helps to set yourself up quarterly/90 days. So, January and February is never almost hardly a rush all of this to say. It's a discipline you need to start to learn. Remember life for you will become so much more busy when you become a mom one day. Please unlearn to "hustle" and please learn to lean in to "Calm"❤
I'm familiar with Sara's work - she has a great channel! I work by quarters, too - it's much more manageable than trying to tackle an entire year in one bite, so to speak. 😆 I don't think there's anything wrong with hustling, per se, depending on what it is and what it's for. I've just reached a point where I need to be more intentional about when and how I hustle so I can make room for seasons of calm ☺️
Hey Elyssa, I don’t know anything about power sheets or cultivate what matters. I definitely have been pondering end of life info, so I may head over to the website and take a look. I agree, on seasons going by quickly especially Thanksgiving & Christmas. I should sit & start a gratitude journal to stop & reflect the tender moments of my days. Thanks for sharing.
✝️You keep me so inspired! I've been watching all your old videos, which were so insightful. I'll be joining you Club 119 in January🎉super excited. Again, thank you for sharing your faith walk.🌹
I'm really interested in that Clever fox end of life planner you mentioned. My oldest daughter has been asking lately if we have plans in place. I looked into the "knok box" for a bit but never decide on it. I need to put it in my Powersheets as a goal. I know it would be so helpful to our children.
Love your content!! I’m very interested in your Live Well comment. How does that work? I’m working on trying to incorporate the Live Well concept in my prayer that you suggested. If you’ve done a video on this already, would you please provide a link? Really appreciate you!!
Thank you for asking! I've written about it on my blog, but I really do need to do a full video soon 😊 Here's my blog post - elyssanalani.com/the-live-well-6/ and at the bottom of the page and on my freebies page, I have a Live Well 6 Guide 😁
To be honest, every year since 2020, I have held off on setting new goals or making any big changes in my life in the beginning of the year. I wait until Spring before doing any of that. And it has definitely taken the anxiety of the whole “new year new me” away for me. I used to get real anxious about coming up with resolutions and making all these big changes in my life; now I just let it happen organically with no pressure.
Yes, halt the hustle of the New Year!! I am now retired so my January and February will include the following on a daily basis.......Bible Study, reading for pleasure, a nap, a cup of tea. I might just make a habit tracker for just those items!!
I wish I was retired! 6 more years of the old grind to go. 😢
I completely agree with your thoughts on winter esp January and February. I started a garden a few years back and started paying more attention to the seasons and how plants behaved. For most things the cold winter is a season of rest. This year was the first year I applied it to my goals. January and February I only had goals to continue with the habits I already had established and to track the things I wanted to work on to see where my baseline was. Then in March I felt so much more motivated to get things done and accomplished. Everything has a season and it's important to remember the season of calm and rest. Loved the video.
Exactly!!! I love this!! Thank you for sharing 😁
Time to hygge down for the winter. For me that means more time reading by the fire, baking, & leaning into my Bible studies even more.
I agree that the pressure to set a lot of goals at the beginning of the year and expecting them to be realized immediately isn't very helpful in the long run. I prefer to create rhythms and routines over schedules & goals. It works much better for me. I'm trying to slow down my life and prioritize relationships over busyness.
I do the one-word thing, and I know my word for 2025. God gave it to me last month. I look forward to seeing how He makes it bloom in my life.
Thanks for the motivation.
Yes, I understand how you feel about winter and slowing down. It's because we go by the Gregorian calendar, instead of the Julian calendar. The Julian calendar went by the seasons with March/April being at the beginning of the year (e.g "spring") while the winter months were at the end of the year. The Gregorian calendar is tracked by the Earth's rotation around the sun. It includes leap years. This is the calendar we use today. Personally, the Julian calendar makes more sense to me.
I’d forgotten about all that 😆 Yeah it kinda does make more sense!
New subscriber, found you from the Tamra collaboration. I could not agree more with your wisdom about winter. I’m in my 60s and have always been guided by the seasons. Cozier, reflective projects in the winter months, kick into higher gear when the Sun comes back in the spring 🤗
I am with you 💯 on the "right shade of purple or I'll pass it up" AND on Winter needing to be slower and starting things in Spring ❤
You're totally right about the new year planning. Nothing in winter points to it intuitively being a time for new beginnings (apart from the calendar and new year energy that comes with that). By nature, it's a time to slow down, nestle in, and rest, so for this reason last year---for the first time--I did not establish any goals for the new year and it was game changing. Not working against my body's natural desires to do less in the cold and dark enabled me to rejuvenate after the holidays and start spring with that fresh energy and get stuff done.
I love this!! Thanks for sharing ☺️
Whoa! When you mentioned agriculture, it brought back to my mind a conversation my husband and I were having when reading/studying Psalm 1. This makes so much sense and is something that I will implement. I have let go of the hustle when it comes to the new year. So, I may be joining you on this journey :).
In Australia winter is calm and lower energy. But December, January and February, basically our summer is always chaos.
It starts with Christmas, then new year and its goals etc and the new school year starts in Feb.
So I would love these months to slow down so I can enjoy the summer. 🥰
I am truly grateful for this video. I have never given much thought to seasonal awareness so to speak although I know that some adhere to a Spring start which makes so much sense. That piece just added so much value to me. My birthday is in April and that’s generally what I refer to as my personal New Year but I’m going to lean more into that and pay attention to the seasons that God has laid out for us. I was lead to watch this video in its entirety for a reason. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. ❤❤❤
Yes i know exactlty what you mean! A few years ago i did away with feeling any pressure to set new goals in January. I actually celebrate new years on my birthday which is in July. Any new goals i set for the year are made then and thats when i start new habits and routines. Winter is so much more relaxing now. In January i just keep rolling with what i started back in the summer. Now, i can just look forward to the fun of setting up and starting a new planner and working on my other hobbies.
In the 80's, when I began college, I learned to goal set. I had never heard of such a thing... or wasn't taught. I discovered the power behind goal setting at this time in my life. There have been years I chose not to set goals and it turned out I became a little bored and in few areas I regressed just a little bit. At age 57, I have a system but yours is very impressive. I am listening for tips on how to improve mine. I found you yesterday, and so, I am very interested and it's been fun going through your videos. God bless your new year.
That's great! I'm so glad to help 😃 Happy New Year!! 🥳
I too feel like I have to qualify my statements about the reading slump I have been in for a few years. It's not that I don't read it's that my reading isn't as bountiful as I want it to be. I completely relate. I still am at about 38 books but when I was reading between 80-100 a year 38 is a slump for me. Thank you for sharing this was really helpful and inspiring for me to really get my life organized so I can do what God is calling me to do and steward the time He gives me well. Yes I feel like resting in the winter is so helpful.
Elyssa, thank you for being so candid about your thoughts and feelings. I was forced to retire about five years ago and have been in a downward spiral ever since-probably scanning all six areas of my life. Currently I don’t have all the meetings and projects to fill up my time. My health has gone downhill and still is. My purpose in getting involved in planning & journaling is to track all my health problems. Dr visits and the financial changes. I’m going through. It is very overwhelming. I had been saving accord to my plan for after I retired but one major health problem has wiped out all my savings. Mentally I’m very depressed and anxious for what comes next. I have several planners and journals I’m working on and yourself videos (comments) have helped me a lot. Most videos are targeting younger people but your comments, while still being focused on your personal experiences, gave me some potential direction. I look forward to hearing more. 💜😊
I’m so sorry you’re going through such a difficult season, Deborah. I pray that things turn around for you soon 💕 And I’m happy if my videos can be any kind of sunshine and inspiration you need ☺️
I absolutely think it makes sense! You might enjoy some of the goal setting videos from Makselife because the owner Sierra Friend totally discusses her goal setting and it's totally different from what you would expect from the owner of a goal setting planner company! She uses January to build her annual goals. It's like a pause month for her to reset and begin slowly. I LOVEEEE that because December is just so chaotic with the excitement of Christmas.
And I have a lot of planners so it's nice to see a fellow multi-planner user he he. (Just came across your channel, so HI!)
Thank you for the recommendation! I’m familiar with Makselife but didn’t know that about Sierra.
Yes! I receive that! Certain animals hibernate in the winter months and where it is cold the earth is taking time to renew, so should we! Yes I’m definitely down with the hygge for the cold season, coming into bloom bursting forth with new ideas, goals, and plans in the spring! Definitely a new view for me 🤔Thank you, I love it!
Some traumatic events since the time I first posted last month have had this Spring start for the new year really resonating with me. I couldn’t even begin to follow the traditional new year new goals January start this year. With that on my mind I found a book you may be interested in adding to your TBR. Wintering by Katherine May.
Totally agree with you - I have been staying at my mums (she broke a hip) and won't get back home until the 30th December so definitely won't be setting my planners up - I am not going to do any goals until March - just enjoy the "chill"
I completely agree with keeping winter cozy! For several years now I’ve been wishing we could celebrate Christmas at the end of winter instead of the beginning of it so we can enjoy the coziness of Fall a little longer before we transition to the bustle of the Christmas season. Then the new year is here and it’s back to business as usual. Since we can’t move Christmas, I love the idea of just creating a cozy winter atmosphere, so count me in! 🤍
It’s all about the cozy 😁 I’ve got some ideas I’ll be sharing with y’all soon 😃
I’m trying to decide which planner to go into for the upcoming year 2025. Last year I was into the Hobanichi Cousin and Weeks. I ordered it from the Website which cost a fortune in international shipping. I really enjoyed checking out your planner stack for 2025. I liked your reading journal. I also love that room you’re filming in, very inspiring. That edited update was Epic, I immediately subscribed to your Chanel. My goal is to read more books in 2025. Thank you for a great planner Line up!
Love your room!
15:39 I really like the layout and the Sunday start.
I love the layout too! 😁 It comes in both Sunday and Monday start ☺️
Just found your page 🎉 love your 2025 stack!!
YES!! I need to do that this year especially because I'm about to have a surgery so I will definitely need the calm to extend into the new year. I always try to do too much at the beginning of the year and then snow and icy conditions stop me in my tracks. Then I get down on myself when I really need to just relax and stay in the coziness of winter. Thank you for sharing your thoughts because you have inspired me to consider this and see how things go.
I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling this 😊 God bless you on your surgery!! 🙏🏽
My Bible Study like yours for next year arrived Friday
I am so excited
We really do need to get a group together
God meets us where we are so it is nice to hear what others learned
In some parts of the world Spring is the start of the year.
Agree!! After 30 years of Sept-June planning as a teacher I am used to July/August as my reset months. About mid-August I would get really psyched to plan the next year. I tried annual planning but got stressed by all the hype about planning, resolution-making etc. that goes with annual planning so I bought an undated 12 month teacher planner and reverted to September start. I re-labeled the auxiliary pages to meet my needs. For examples I use the seating chart to enter the titles or books I read and I use the marking register to keep track of my routines.
Who said we have to start our yearly plan in January. Why not start it in your birthday or anniversary month? Think out of the box! Don't let culture define even your planning for your future!!!!!
I am a member of the HB90 Community/Club, Sarra Cannon from HeartBreathings. It really helps to set yourself up quarterly/90 days. So, January and February is never almost hardly a rush all of this to say. It's a discipline you need to start to learn. Remember life for you will become so much more busy when you become a mom one day. Please unlearn to "hustle" and please learn to lean in to "Calm"❤
I'm familiar with Sara's work - she has a great channel! I work by quarters, too - it's much more manageable than trying to tackle an entire year in one bite, so to speak. 😆 I don't think there's anything wrong with hustling, per se, depending on what it is and what it's for. I've just reached a point where I need to be more intentional about when and how I hustle so I can make room for seasons of calm ☺️
Hey Elyssa, I don’t know anything about power sheets or cultivate what matters. I definitely have been pondering end of life info, so I may head over to the website and take a look. I agree, on seasons going by quickly especially Thanksgiving & Christmas. I should sit & start a gratitude journal to stop & reflect the tender moments of my days. Thanks for sharing.
Whatever you may choose, let me know what you think ☺️ And yes, recording gratitude is so important- I need to be more consistent.
I love your idea! I feel the same way. Winter coziness ❤
Right?! Winter cozy all the way 😁
You have a great set up for 2025!
Thank you! I like it 😁
Great idea..there's someone else I've seen on UA-cam that she waits til Feb to start any goals for the year
It's a great strategy 😃
✝️You keep me so inspired! I've been watching all your old videos, which were so insightful.
I'll be joining you Club 119 in January🎉super excited.
Again, thank you for sharing your faith walk.🌹
I’m happy to help!! Look forward to seeing you in CLUB 119 😁
Thank you for sharing!! Do you mind saying where your bookshelves are from? I’m in the market for new shelves and yours are so lovely ☺️
They’re Billie bookcases from IKEA ☺️
I'm really interested in that Clever fox end of life planner you mentioned. My oldest daughter has been asking lately if we have plans in place. I looked into the "knok box" for a bit but never decide on it. I need to put it in my Powersheets as a goal. I know it would be so helpful to our children.
Yeah it’s such an important task! I’m going to put it my PowerSheets too.
I would totally love to see how you live slower in Dec to March - I feel exactly the same.
I'm definitely going to whip something up to share with y'all ☺️
Would you ever consider reviewing the books you read each month! That would be great to see more suggestions to what other books to get 😊
I would absolutely love to! I hope to make time for that next year in some way 😁
@ElyssaNalaniTV I hope so too! It be so nice and helpful 🙏
6 girl I’m using 21. Video on my channel. I also added 6 more after I filmed the video
Whatever it takes to get the job done, right? 😎
Love your content!! I’m very interested in your Live Well comment. How does that work? I’m working on trying to incorporate the Live Well concept in my prayer that you suggested. If you’ve done a video on this already, would you please provide a link? Really appreciate you!!
Thank you for asking! I've written about it on my blog, but I really do need to do a full video soon 😊 Here's my blog post - elyssanalani.com/the-live-well-6/ and at the bottom of the page and on my freebies page, I have a Live Well 6 Guide 😁
@ thanks!! I meant to say Prayer Bible, lol!! I’ll check out the link and guide, and will watch out for that video! Be blessed!❤️
❤️ subscribed ❤️ sissy ❤️
Glad you’re here!