What's cracking Reader?
I hope you had a wonderful week. I have say while 2023 didn't go exactly has I planned, I will say this year flew by.
So while you're (hopefully) snuggled up with your new blanket or cozy robe - I figured we could chat about a couple of different ways to end out 2023 / start 2024 (Number 3 is a game changer). Oh and here's a picture of me in my new blanket robe with one of my wiener dogs Coco (she's a big fan.)
1. Struggle with New Years Goals? Ask yourself this one question instead.
If your vision board is looking alittle bare because you're struggling to come up with goals and resolutions for 2024 ask yourself this question:
"What do I want to "go pro in" in 2024?"
Then write out the behaviors, actions, habits, routines and general vibes you think someone who is a "pro" would do.
I actually first heard this question on a fitness podcast. The host wanted to become a professional bodybuilder and be a pro Dad. So he figured out the mentality & boxes he'd need to check off to start embodying being a pro in those areas.
For example a pro-Dad isn't on their phone while playing with their kid, models respect etc.
And just like pro-athletes it's okay to have an "off season". No, you're not going to completely neglect everything but you get to be a bit more laxed.
I really enjoyed this reframe.
For 2024 - I'm "going pro" in manifesting.
Well, I've always been pretty good at it. It's definitely a practice that I've let get away from me over the past couple of years. For me manifesting isn't just about like "oh I want this thing". It's about dealing with the weird stuff that's been hiding in the closet of my brain and odd patterns that have been showing up. (And calling in epic stuff too.)
I'll keep you posted on my going pro journey. First stop - going back through Money, Mentality Makeover by Amanda Frances. And reaffirming positive beliefs & vibes.
So what are you going pro in?
Being Coaching? Decluttering? Cookie making?
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2. Word of the year...
So in my last email where I told you NOT to email your list this week because I'd rather you do it next week - I mentioned this week I'd let you know my word/phrase of the year for 2024.
A word or phrase of the year is the vibe or general energy that you want to go into 2024 with.
Some of my past words or phrases of the year have been:
- "I'm just getting started."
- Abundance
- Ascension on every level
-Ambition
This year it's "Calm."
I'm not sure if it's the ADHD-ness in me or what but your girl seems to be addicted to chaos energy.
Chaos energy like - making everything 1000% more complicated than it needs to be so it takes 100000x times longer then it needs to get done, waiting to the last minute to do something so I can feed off the pressure, the dopamine rush of not canceling doctors appointments until an hour before I would have to pay a $50 fee for not going.
You know chaos.
But unlike with the word "ease" - with calm, you can have a calm confidence which to me still leaves room for ambition, trying hard and spontaneous creativity - just like manic-y.
Hit reply to let Abi & I know your word or phrase of the year. I can share them next week to give people more ideas.
(FYI - If you're amazing in a crisis situation, but when everything is going calm your brain can't get you to do anything that's a fun characteristic of ADHD. YAY!)
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3. Do a Digital Fresh Start / Clean Slate
If we've been homeslices for a while now you've definitely heard me talk about this.
This is my complete nonnegotiable for every new year.
It focuses on clearing out the digital clutter in 5 key areas - Your inbox, Your desktop + file storage, Your Media Consumption, Your Phone & Project Management System. (Bonus: Financial)
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Your Inbox
1. Create a label in gmail called: Clean Slate Winter 2023 - move every message in your primary tab into that label and make them as read.
You go through it later or wait till people "circle back" with you.
This way you're not deleting anything, but you're still getting a clean start.
2.Quickly scan your promo & update tabs for the phrase "RE:". Shove those in your Clean Slate Folder.
3. Either mass archive (so you can still use search to find it) or Delete all the messages left in your promo & update tabs.
Bonus points - as new emails come in be ruthless with unsubscribing or creating filters that skip the inbox and go a label instead. For example - all my Paypal notifications go to a "Paypal Label" and skip my inbox.
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Your Desktop / File Storage
This one you're going to need a Dropbox or Google Drive for.
1.Open Dropbox or Google Drive.
Create a folder called 2023 Desktop - Drag all the Folders, Files and random screenshots from your Desktop to that folder.
Then delete them from your desktop.
My Dropbox is sync to my Mac anyways so I can always use the search function to find anything I need.
The only thing that stays on my Desktop is my current project folder (in this case the Back To Business Bundle)
(Would it be better to "go through" all my screen shots...probably this way I don't have too and it's not cluttering up my space. )
2. Clean up your Dropbox / Google Drive by creating a Folder that says 2023 archive - drag all your random files & folder and there...bam clean slate.
3. I also like to get rid of any apps I don't use or Google Chrome extensions because they're really easy to re-download.
Bonus Tip: Create a folder called "Delete this" save all your Canva downloads and randomous things like CSV files there on your desktop there.
Every day or Friday drag that folder to the trash bin, and create a new one. It's the best!
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Media Consumption
1. Delete all podcasts episodes you haven't listen to yet. If you noticed you've have four or more episodes of the same show to listen to Unfollow the show, remove the downloads and move on -trust me.
2. Clean out/ delete your "to watch later" list on youtube. Ruthlessly unsubscribe from channels too.
3. Ruthlessly Unfollow or Mute people on social media. Seriously.
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Your Phone
1.Move all your screenshots into a Google Drive or Dropbox Folder called Screenshots 2023 or if you're feeling bold - just delete all them. You're never going to look at 90% of them again anyways. (Iphones automatically filter out photos vs screenshots if you scroll down to Media type - instead of going in your recents folder. They can make it super easy to delete or move them.)
2. Move all your real photos and videos to a Dropbox or Google Drive folder called Memories of 2023. (yay no more mom guilt for deleting 100 photos where my kids are blinking or blurry.)
If you do want to go through your photos/screenshots before sending them to Dropbox/Google Drive I highly recommend the app Flic... It let you swipe right and swipe left to quickly delete photos. I love it.
3. Clean up your apps. Delete those video editor apps you used once and forgot about.
Do you really need 3 different to do list apps? No delete them.
Both Google Play & Apple Applications keeps track of all the apps you've ever downloaded under "purchased" even if they're free, so you can easily find them again if you need too.
Optional: Why not create a new phone wallpaper in Canva with your word of the year or a vision board on it.
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Project Management
Depending on what software you used, this may or not be feasible, but every January 1 I create a brand new "to do board" that I share with my VA.
I change the current one's name "too old to do list board 2023".
I'll put a card linking to the old board on the new board, just so I have it.
I star the new board & set the new board to popup when I open a new tab (I use the "new tab" chrome extension).
I also like to ask myself is this system working?
Am I putting things on my to do list board that should be it's own board?
For example: I have a huge reference column and another column called good vibes that are screenshots of people saying nice things to us.
The reference column needs to be it's own board.
As for the screen shots...I think a couple at the top of my to do list column would be nice to always remind me of who I'm doing this work for - but the rest have to go into a Google Drive folder.
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Financial
Set a timer for 10 minutes go through all of your business and personal subscriptions, and get rid of or downgrade most of them.
Which streaming service are you currently watching the most only keep that one - cancel the rest.
You can always re-open your account later. (I do this with Disney Plus all the time - No new Loki, no Kate.)
Do you really need the paid version of Acuity every month when you don't do coaching calls and you only record with podcast guest 2 months out of the year (yay batching)? Down grade to the free version, and only upgrade for the two or three months you bang out all your guest episodes.
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I know it seems like alot...if you only have the brain space to do one thing...let it be the inbox clean slate. Trust me, you'll love it.
Later Days,
Kate "Here's to 2024" Doster
P.S. Do you do anything special to wrap up your year? Let us know.
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I'm the host of The Do The Brave Thing Online Business podcast. It's my sole & soul’s mission to put in the hands of good people and prove nice people don’t have to finish last in business.
I help those nice people wrangle their brains & write emails people LOOOOVEEE to read. (And buy from.)