New year, same you...
Celebrating and preserving the best parts of ourselves as we enter 2024
There has always been an element of new year’s resolutions that doesn’t feel quite right, but it wasn’t until this past week that I was able to really put my finger on why that is. Resolutions are made with the intent to create better versions of ourselves in the next year. And in too many cases, they often set us up for failure as our stated goals can be unrealistic and a bit too transformational within such a limited period of time. We forget about the love and patience we must have for the journey itself. But…I digress…. What I really wanted to share was that the lightbulb moment I had toward the end of December was about the observation that new year’s resolutions sometimes more often come from a place of self loathing instead of self love, because the focus is on making a change. What the effort of creating resolutions can fail to make space for - unless you’re incredibly intentional about it - is reflecting on the parts of you that you want to lovingly preserve because they’re so darn good. And perhaps you previously embarked on the most challenging of journeys to get yourself to a place where you can really appreciate these parts of you.
So in the spirit of thinking about the pieces I want to preserve in 2024 and beyond, I’d like to share with you some of the products, services, and thought-provoking words that have helped me live a more balanced and happy life over the past year.
Deeper, high quality sleep
My personal recipe for success in this category has been drinking some MagnesiOm after particularly stressful days, when I know the thoughts racing around in my head risk keeping me awake way after my head hits the pillow. To learn more about this product and its female founder, Amanda Chantal Bacon, check out a previous post here.
And when I struggle to fall asleep on my own, using the GH Ultimate podcast for evening hypnotherapy is true magic. It seems to work on everyone in our household…including our dog. That’s not even a joke.
Moving everyday
This has been a principle I’ve embodied for years and it helps me so much with my mental sanity and overall happiness.
I’m incredibly grateful for my The Sculpt Society (TSS) membership, which I use often when my days feel particularly crammed or I’m on the road and can’t make use of my local gym membership. Megan Roup, the founder of TSS, comes across as a very grounded and positive trainer, so I always appreciate her approach. I’ve written about Megan and TSS previously here.
And speaking of workouts, I wanted to share my top two athletic legging choices. As a former part-time fitness instructor and someone who is wearing leggings for workouts daily, I can assure you that these have withstood the test of time in a very big way. Years later, I’m still wearing them regularly.
Lululemon just updated their Wunderunder line with a fabric that plays on their successful Luxtreme (which I have always been addicted to because it doesn’t pill and survives more intense workouts). I’ve easily worn and washed my leggings over 100 times and they are still in incredible shape - so much so that I receive compliments on them way more often than expected. This option comes in 2 different lengths, but you can also get free hemming at the store.
The Bandier All Access Center Stage Legging is also amazing. I have 3 pairs.
Spend time in nature, away from your phone
Having a dog certainly helps with this one as it gets me out in nature a couple of times per day. During the spring and summer months, my husband and I decided we would go for walks after eating dinner each night and it became the part of our day that we looked forward to the most. Not only did it support easier dinner digestion, it was a great way to decompress and guarantee that we were away from screens.
One of my favorite purchases of 2023 was my Apple watch. If you would have asked me anytime before 2023 if I would purchase one, I would have laughed in your face and said absolutely not. One of the key reasons why I decided to buy it was so that I can be fully away from my phone when I’m on long runs or dog walks. It has made a pretty big positive difference in my life. But, let me be clear, if you see me out to a nice dinner or drinks, I will not be wearing it. Boundaries!
Making more conscious purchase decisions that align with my values
Outside of being more thoughtful about my fashion purchases this past year and focusing more consciously on supporting female founders (check out my gift guides on food, design, beauty, timeless fashion, and luxury featuring some amazing female-founded brands), I discovered an app through a friend that was absolutely game changing. Have you heard of Yuka? It’s a French app that allows you to scan the barcode of common household CPG, cosmetic, and food products and it will give you the details on whether or not there are harmful ingredients. Since the app is developed in the EU, it means that the ingredient standards are far more stringent than what we experience in the US.
While I won’t call out the specific brands, there were a few products that I scanned this year and was a bit shocked and horrified by the composition. It’s a good reminder of the fact that great marketing does not equal a great, responsible product development.
Surround yourself with beautiful vignettes that spark joy
Spoiler alert, but I’m going to be chatting more about interior design in a couple of upcoming posts. So I’ll hold off on talking more about this now, but one of the things I’ve discovered about myself in the past couple of years is that being surrounded by pieces that reflect my personal style and taste make me embody a sense of calm that I hadn’t appreciated previously.
Carving out time for self reflection
My highlight book of 2023 was Martha Beck’s The Way of Integrity. It was recommended to me by a professional acquaintance during the first half of the year, and has been the publication that I repeatedly reference to remain brutally and lovingly honest with myself. I wrote an extended post about the book here.
One of my other favorite reads was an autobiographical book called Group by Christie Tate. It’s the personal story of how a psychologist and group of strangers from therapy ultimately became a community. If I’m being completely honest, I had a difficult time getting into the book at first, but after I stuck with it, it quickly became one of my best reads over the past few years. Personal progress can feel slow, but if you persevere, the end result can be more beautiful that you ever imagined. That’s all I’ll say for now.
And in conclusion…
Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of changes I want to make in my life during 2024 that will allow me to become a more fulfilled, balanced, and thoughtful human. One in particular is limiting my screen time. But the exercise of reflecting on the progress I made in 2023 has felt quite powerful. So I ask, what are the elements that make you the beautiful human that you already are? That a moment to celebrate them.
Happy new year.
x jz
Images | 1 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 2 | Moon Juice | 3 | Apple App Store |4 | The Sculpt Society | 5 | Lululemon | 6 | @b.g.mckay | 7 | Apple App Store | 8 | @b.g.mckay, styled by me | 9 | Amazon
This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Outside of these links, I do not get paid for nor make money off of this post. All opinions are my own.
Lovely article! Such a refreshing take for a new year’s outlook. Love the variety of your curated recs, thanks Jen!!
I have been using the Yuka app thanks to you. It has such good information! I didn’t realize I was buying so many things marketed as “healthy” that really aren’t!