As Christmas and New Year approaches, magazines and blogs are full of things like, “Make it your best year ever,” and “How to make every moment count this year”, articles which are all well and good but if they really were that useful, would they need to be rehashed every year. How about trying a new approach like how to enjoy this coming year, maybe more than you did this one.

In order to do this, you will need to take a look at what would make next year better for you than the one we’re closing out. Is it making sure you have more time for that hobby that you’ve been itching to get to? Is it really, I mean really, making more career connections, or is there an intermediary step you could take on that one that would make that easier?

Don’t worry about what all the magazines and TV shows tell you your new year should look like, decide for yourself. Maybe it’s a radical change that has nothing to do with staying where you are and enhancing that situation you’re in. Give some serious thought to where it is you are and where it is you want to be.

Some ways to do that might be a vision board which really is just a collage consisting of pictures and words that reinforce where you want to be, maybe it’s a calendar with some things you want to accomplish on it and when you want it to be done. This can be dangerous though because if you don’t make it to your deadline, you are in danger of feeling bad and taking two giant steps back. Maybe it’s just writing. Get a notebook and start writing. Maybe start with describing where you are now, how you got there and then see what comes out of your mouth. You may discover a new passion. I intend to take advantage of all of the above with the slight twist of recording via my computer. I’m hoping this will help me get my thoughts down more easily and turn into something I can get published. Add your own twist but remember not every new year signals the need for change.

It’s hard not to feel the pressure to make changes at New Year. It’s as ingrained in us as buying presents at Christmas time but it doesn’t have to be a time of radical change. Keep that in mind as you are re-evaluating where you are and where you want to be this holiday season.