New Year, Same Me, No Bullsh*t!

Kate Kunicky
Jan 9, 2021
5 min read

It is a new year. We made it! 2020 felt like it went by in a blink, but also like it was seven years rolled into one. This is the first new year; however, the first week in January, that I feel different. What does that mean exactly? Let me explain…

Over the holiday season and more specifically the black hole between Christmas and New Year’s, I spent quite a bit of time alone and reflecting. I was going back into my phone archives, Facebook and Instagram; looking at pictures, posts and seeing where I was at and how far I have come. It was truly astonishing to me how so much has changed, but not my core being and the person I am, more so my mentality and mindset. For the last few years, I would make an annual New Years post with a picture of myself and a paragraph about what the previous year had been and where I would like to be in the upcoming year. It was always a “thank you for the lessons and a ready for the best year yet" type of deal. A pattern I noticed with all these posts was how the previous year had been so challenging and tough, but how the next year would be “My Year” finally.

I was a bit troubled by this. Not because there was not any truth to what I had said or written, but because I was always forward projecting my happiness and not fully expressing the gratitude that I held in my heart for the current moment and all I had accomplished.

I have also noticed a pattern of expectations, pressure and perfection from a lot of people this time of year. When that clock struck Midnight on January 1st suddenly everyone’s guilt and shame started wreaking havoc and the fun was over. I am not saying I am exempt from my own moments or thoughts, but what I know in my heart and what I have always felt is that EVERY SINGLE DAY you wake up is the chance to start fresh. We do not have to wait until January 1st to have the life we want or to make an impact.

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

I know for myself that every day is a check in and a reminder. It is a conscious decision every day to move, and in those mere moments is when magic can happen.

I am not one to make resolutions, but this year I am making a promise to myself. The promise is to love myself unconditionally, be who I am unapologetically and to simply SHOW UP.

So much change has occurred over the past year and really over the past few years, but hindsight truly is 20/20. The resistance I was met with over and over was a not-so-subtle slap to go the other way, and FINALLY I am walking in the other direction. It is not without fears, worries, or even doubts, but the true difference is, the faith and trust in myself and the process. In so many ways I am starting over, but I do not feel like I am back at square one. This time I have the knowledge and experience of my journey to date. What an opportunity to take ALL that you have learned and accomplished and put it into what makes you passionate!

“Lighting a fire UNDER someone will never be as effective as lighting a fire WITHIN someone.”

-Bob Teague

My new years letter looks a bit different this year, but here it goes…

2020, what a year…for me personally, it was mostly amazing. True, it was tough not to see a lot of people, or do certain things I had originally planned on, but it was an opportunity to rest finally. It was the chance to be outside more, to truly press the reset button, to learn new things, to try new things, to figure out what I do not want in my life and to be BRAVE enough to say so. Despite circumstances, I managed to see new places, I met new people and I started a venture that I had always wanted to, but never knew the “how” or “what” so would always just shove it aside. I was also able to spend more time with my family and for that alone, I could not be more grateful. Lo and behold, things were looking up and a foundation of real change was setting in.

2021 is going to be an EPIC continuation of manifesting and quietly doing the work. I am going to hold myself accountable and let a core number of people in on the plan to have them be my pace car and share in the ride. I am going to put my intentions out there, but also let go and be flexible because when you leave room and are less rigid in your plans, magical things can transpire and can elevate the journey to new heights. I am going to honour and release all that which does not serve my highest good once and for all. I am going to live every day and honour how it comes. I will not beat myself up or feel guilty if all I did was just manage to breathe in a day and I will celebrate all the wins, big or small.

So many of us put enormous amounts of pressure on ourselves to lock in large scale goals for the new calendar year and then within days or weeks it has all been forgotten. It is great to have goals, but they need to be things that you will want to achieve, and with steps that make them achievable. Set yourself up for success and keep it simple.

Here are a few ideas FOR YOU to grab 2021 by the horns:

Expressing your Gratitude – Write down 1 to 3 things you are grateful for when you get up each day and before you go to bed each night. This will transform your mindset. It will re-direct and transmute any negative thoughts.

Positive Affirmations or Love notes – Write out a few positive affirmations or notes to yourself and post them on your bathroom mirror or the front door - Somewhere where you will see it every day! Examples: “I am worthy” “I am deserving” “I am enough”

If you want to set goals, keep it simple! Start by setting 1 or 2 goals and BE SPECIFIC. If you have a health-related goal in mind, make it achievable (Set yourself up for the WIN). You can always make it spicier or more challenging once you have achieved your original goal. Example: “I walk 30 minutes a day to honour my physical and mental health – Thank you”

HOT TIP: When writing a goal out, express gratitude for it and always use present tense language and write it as if it has already happened, it is already yours and you are already doing it!

“Always remember your focus determines your reality.”

-George Lucas

I thank the universe for all these incredible gifts and blessings. 2020 gave me so much perspective and made me realize even more how precious life is and how short it can be. It also showed me that we have a choice; To see the cloud or the silver lining. Not everyone had an amazing year, and my heart goes out to you. What I can say is this…You are HERE, right now, in this moment. You have weathered the storm and you have grown so much. Celebrate this. Be vocal, write it down, tell yourself something you are grateful for and watch how in that moment things start to shift.

I dare you to be grateful!