New Year Rituals and Intentions!

HAPPY almost NEW YEAR! The ghost of holidays past is visiting Moniqua Plante Wellness today, with a redux of some of my favorite new year rituals that will help you look back at the past year, tie it up in a beautiful bow and sashay towards the goals you’re going to crush in the new year!

So, forget watching the latest Hallmark movie, when you’ve got some downtime on new year’s day or in a few days after, spend it on yourself!

Here are my Top 5 New Year Rituals to take stock of your year and leave your future self a big ole new year’s gift.

New Year Ritual 1: Ruminate On The Past 12 Months

Before you can get where you’re going, it helps to know where you’ve been and this new year ritual will help you do just that. While you don’t want to dwell too long on the past, it’s helpful to have a barometer on what motivates you and what doesn’t fit into your life anymore.

So much can change in a year, including your priorities, so what seemed like a must last January might not resonate with who you are now. And that’s totally normal, by the way!

So, set aside an hour or even just 30 minutes to sit down and reflect on the last year — see how it points to what’s next.  Did you accomplish what you’d hoped? What went really well? Where do you feel you need to improve? What are you most proud of from the past year?

If all the checkboxes on last year’s resolutions aren’t marked off, don’t beat yourself up! Judging yourself will just hold you back from taking inspired action. If you need a little help in this area, check out my tips on practicing self-forgiveness and creating a judgment detox.

New Year Ritual 2: Meditate On Your Master Plan

Now that you have a better idea of how last year went, let’s focus on the new year! What do you want to manifest in your life in the New Year? For the nest new year ritual, I recommend writing out a detailed list of your desired outcome, to help you get super clear about your intentions and create a strong mental picture.

Once you have that picture set in your mind, I have a few out-of-the-box ways to sprinkle your wishes into your new year. Check them out here. You can also incorporate your new plan into your daily routine by using affirmations. If you haven’t tried this method yet, you gotta get in on this powerful way to manifest. Here’s a starter guide.

Finally, close out your brainstorm session with this easy 5-minute meditation that will help you call in more health, wealth and joy into your life.

New Year Ritual 3: Sage That $h!t

Your headspace is always numero uno, but a cluttered physical environment can deeply plague your mental well being. So, say goodbye to any bad energy and negative thoughts and feelings that might be lingering from the previous year by sageing your home.

I love this new year ritual, which is an ancient Native American technique used to clear spaces — and yourself — of stagnant, stale, negative energy or influences. It’s easy to do alone or with your partner or your BFF, and the process is simple enough that you can customize it, with music or lighting or just a girls’ night with pizza and laughter afterward. One of my clients dances in each room to clear its energy. It’s about taking back your space and filling it with cleaner, positive energy.

Click here for a breakdown of how to start sageing ASAP.

New Year Ritual 4: Like We Need An Excuse To Party…

Speaking of parties, for this new year ritual gather your best friends together and host a vision board party on New Year’s Day or the weekend after. The supply list is simple: poster boards, magazines, scissors, and glue sticks — but you can add in a little flair with glitter, stickers, ribbons, and markers.

I know you’ll love having this visual representation of your goals for the year ahead as much as I do! Make sure to have some fun with it because you’ll want to put it somewhere you can see it all year, like over your desk or in your room. (P.S. If you’re feeling brave, post a picture of your vision board on Instagram and tag @monqiuaplantewellness. I’ll repost my favorites!)

If you’d prefer a party for one, check out mindmovies.com, where you can create a digital video vision board, complete with a soundtrack and animation.

New Year Ritual 5: Don’t Just Pencil It In

I know I’ve shared this before, but Former First Lady Michelle Obama said it best, “You have to schedule the balance.” Self-care needs to be non-negotiable time devoted to just to you, even if it’s just 15 minutes each day.

If you want to reach your goals and kick butt this upcoming year, you need to make yourself a priority. If you’re exhausted, stressed and your body feels like it’s falling apart, you’re going to spend far more time than you’d like concentrating on getting your health back on track before you can even touch your 2024 plans.

So, my challenge to you is to download The Plante Life Self-Care Planner here. In it, you’ll find daily affirmations, self-care suggestions and a place to plan and record your daily progress. And once you’ve figured out what self-care activities you’re going with, schedule them in your calendar right away.

Then check that off your to-do list, and enjoy a warm holiday beverage!

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year? What will you create this year? Let me know in the comments below!

LOVE + the Happiest New Year!