Just Tasteful Musings: 4 Ways to Start Fresh

Happy new year, interneters!

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It's that time of year again; the time with the most pressure to create new beginnings (other than that moment when you go from being a fetus to being no longer a fetus).

You may have heard this before, but the new year is not so different from the other 364 days except that the date happens to look the skinniest when written down. It's just another day.

I don't know about you, but the firecrackle and who-rah of the new year is equal parts inspiring and stress-inducing; the thought that I have to make use of this day and this week and this month because it's the freshest I'm going to be for the next whole year is a little bit paralyzing. And paralysis can seriously limit your productivity.

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Just remember that it has been and will always be true that every moment is an equally perfect time for a new beginning. It's just a matter of you deciding to give yourself the mental exfoliation necessary to begin.
When you think about, the fact that most people choose New Year's day as their new beginning is due in large part to the number of people participating; we call January 1st new because everyone else around us is starting over, which makes it easier for ourselves.

But isn't it a little liberating to think that tomorrow could be the beginning of a new you? Or the next day? Or a day in the middle of June? Or the beginning of a new project or a new idea or a new way of thinking; there's definitely not always a need to be recreating our selves.

With that said, it's nice to take to momentum of another January to sort of start fresh, try to let go of any failures that 2013 brought, and focus on your goals in the year to come. Here are some fun ways to try to feel like you're turning a blank page.

4 Ways to Start Fresh in 2014

Change your wallpaper. It may be a little difficult to do it literally, but freshening up the vista on your technology never hurts. Replace those autumn leaves with a patch of 4-leaf clovers. Change your lock screen to an inspiring quote.

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Don't break the chain. This productivity method, developed by Jerry Seinfeld, it a way to motivate yourself to do something every day and mark it off on a calendar; after you develop a running streak, you won't want to break the chain. Here's a nice printable calendar and more info.

Use technology. The best goals, or new years resolutions, are those that are measureable. With things like productivity on the computer and exercise, it can be hard to track exact amounts. Use apps like Nike Training Club (perfect for busy folks) to keep track of workouts down to the minute, and download free software like RescueTime that tracks how much time you spend on productive websites while online.

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Start something new. The start of a new year is a great time to begin something that you always planned to do but never had the time, or courage, to pursue. Try writing a novel. Start a garden. Re-start correspondence with a childhood friend through snail mail.