Preparing your home for the new year
2023 is here! The New Year is an exciting time, filled with possibility and a special kind of motivation that comes with starting something new. You already know that, when informed by a strong connection to your spirit, the home is a magical place with incredible potential for creating clarity, wellbeing, and growth. So it’s extra potent to combine home-care with the unique energy of the new year.
I’ve collected my favorite practices to help you realign and refresh your home for the year to come ✨.
1) Declutter
Ok, is decluttering the answer to everything? Not really, but it sure does feel like it sometimes 😂.
The start of the new year is a fantastic time to declutter because most of us are already hoping to shed old habits and bring in new, positive energy to our lives. What better way to support this shift - physically, emotionally, and energetically - than to literally clear out the stuff that’s clogging up our spaces? Use the momentum of January to declutter all the excess that’s built up over the past 12 months (and beyond :p). I promise it will leave you feeling lighter, brighter, and super accomplished.
2) Weed out irritants
Irritants can include clutter, but also include unfinished projects, other people’s stuff, dead plants — any object that has some action associated with it that you’ve been putting off. Now’s the time to bust those irritants and rid your sanctuary of all of those “shoulds” that’ve been hanging over your head. Hang that art that’s been leaning against the wall for the last 5 months. Call your friend and schedule a time for them to retrieve the backpack they forgot a few weeks ago. Say goodbye to the plant you accidentally killed (been there 😬). Yes, weeding out irritants can be tedious (that’s why we avoid them in the first place!), but once you set your mind to it, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you can eliminate most of these little buggers, leaving your space feeling calmer and ready for the new year. If you need a little help tackling your irritants, here’s a blog post all about ‘em to help you get started.
3) Realign your design
Human beings are not static creatures. As we grow, our interests, values, and preferences naturally shift. This is why your college wardrobe likely looked a little different from your current one, and why you probably prioritize different things now than you did 10 years ago. So it’s worth asking yourself if your home reflects who you are NOW, or if it’s stuck in a past version of you.
You see this a lot when a young person makes the shift from their version of “dorm room chic,” to “real adult.” At some point in their 20s, they have the time and money to create a space that feels settled, functional, and slightly more sophisticated.
But that doesn’t have to be your only environmental “update.” You are constantly changing and growing; why shouldn’t your space evolve with you?
Here are a few examples of my rooms over the years. You can see how my style went from colorfully-eclectic-cozy-flower fairy to more a more refined, neutral palette with pops of autumn & spring colors.
Time has a funny way of rushing by, and before you know it, you’ve been living in a home surrounded by things, posters, games, etc, that you once loved, but really no longer have much meaning to you.
So as the year winds down, take a moment to ask yourself if your home reflects who you are now. Does it support your current needs and dreams? Does your art still enchant you? Would a stranger get an accurate picture of who you really are by looking at your space? Or would they see who you were 5 years ago? Let the answers to these questions inform any shifts you may want to make in your space.
4) Infuse your intentions
Now for the fun part ✨.
Even if you’re not big on new year resolutions, you may feel that there are certain things you want more of in your life.
For example, I want to visit England and Ireland this spring. Lately, however, I’ve been pushing off the planning. So last week I put a candle in front of a framed print of an Irish cottage in my room. Winter has arrived, so I’m constantly lighting candles in my home. As I lit this candle for the first time, I dedicated it to my England/Ireland trip. Now, every time I light it I tune back into that intention. It’s helped keep the trip front-of-mind, and in the last few days I’ve finally started looking at plane tickets and contacting friends in London.
Simple, right? But powerful.
There are so many ways to infuse your intentions into your physical environment. Some are pretty standard and very literal - even a sticky note reminding you to buy more toilet paper would arguably fall into this category. A more spiritual approach? An altar adorned with objects that echo your values and you connect to your spiritual path.
So how do we do this?
Step 1: Figure out what you desire in the new year. It may be helpful to sit down and journal on this first. Or, join my free women’s gathering where we’ll do this in community 😉.
Step 2: Choose the top 2 or 3 desires that you want to infuse into your environment. Ask yourself what type of “support” you need from your space. I’m going to be lazy and go with a classic resolution and say you want to work out more. Do you need visual prompts to remind you? A printed out calendar on your door to track your workouts? Space in your bedroom to do your morning yoga? A better way to store your workout gear so it’s not to hard to get to? Maybe you’re the kinda gal that loves a good motivational sign. Or maybe you write a letter to your body and place it on your altar. The beauty is that YOU get to decide. Tune in, listen to your inner voice, and then give yourself time to integrate your desire into your home, be it through symbolic objects, visual reminders, a simple ritual, or a new organizational system.
The bottom line is that we can’t help but be affected by our environments, especially our homes, where we spend so much of our time. With 2023 just around the corner, now is a beautiful time to recharge your space so it truly supports you and your dreams.
xo,
Joanie
Longing for a home that lifts you up instead of dragging you down?
Download my FREE guide, “The 5 Obstacles to Sacred Space (and how to overcome them for a home that supports your mind, body, and spirit)” and start bringing YOUR spirit house to life today ✨
