Happy New Year guys! For the last two years I’ve written a “new year” message (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), so I wanted to do the same this year.

For me, the last few years have never really been around resolutions, but more so looking back over the last year and finding gratitude (even if on the surface it was a sh*t year with COVID), and looking into the new year with the hope that anything is possible. I know this probably sounds really cheesy and cliche, but just hear me out.

Despite how bad you may feel like things are (I know the last two years have not been ideal), I genuinely feel like there are silver linings to every situation and there is always something to be thankful for. If we decide to focus on the negative, that’s all we will ever see. If we decide to focus on what we can’t control, we will always feel like nothing is in our hands. I’m a firm believer in focusing on the good and what you can control – because at the end of the day, that is all we can do. And in focusing on what we can control – we can create and manifest good things for ourselves. Even if in the moment life isn’t turning out to be what we expected.

As we go into 2022, I obviously pray that it’s better than the last two years! Lol. But again, at the end of the day it’s our responsibility to focus on what we do have control of and in doing that, creating the life we want. No one else is responsible for your happiness, but you.

One thing that really has helped me have a more optimistic outlook, whether it’s going into a new year or trying to motivate myself when I’m feeling like I’m down or in a rut, is to realize that if I put in the work anything is possible and that it only takes one decision to change your life. At the end of the day, we have the power to create the life we want – but we have to have the right mindset, attitude, and work ethic to get there.

That being said, going into 2022, I am really focusing on practicing gratitude each day. I feel like I already do a pretty good job at this but I definitely could make it a better practice and start my day with it. I think by just acknowledging three things that you’re grateful for at the beginning of each day, helps set a more positive tone and when things “go wrong” during the day or start to go down the path of “but why don’t I have XYZ yet”, going back to that morning list helps put things back into perspective. Along with practicing gratitude, I also think acknowledging that every decision you make, no matter how small you may think it is, has the power to change your life (for the better)! I think we can easily forget that in order to achieve the “big” things we want out of life, that they start with the small decisions we make everyday. And it’s those tiny decisions compounded on each other that are what have the biggest impact. So try not to get discouraged if you don’t feel like things aren’t happening overnight or you’re not reaching your goals as quickly as you should. The small decisions and habits each day will help you achieve those shorter term goals which will eventually get you to where you want to be. As I tell myself all the time – patience is a virtue! If the best things in life were quick and easy to get, everyone would do it.

So going into the new year, practice gratitude, set some goals and give yourself some patience in getting there. You got this!