Melanie DeCastro FIFTEEN days is all you need to get ready for the New Year.
The 15 Day challenge is based on self observations and personal desires. 2023 is your personal dedication to yourself BY YOURSELF. No matter how tough this year or life seems, 2023 is your opportunity to make that change. Note mental toughness is an automatic requirement to complete this challenge.
The challenge is split up into small activities each day. The more you let yourself go the more impactful it will be. If you decide to keep your activities at surface level you will not see the change in you.
The point of the challenge is to nurture a personal connection with yourself in a judgement free zone.
What is the 15 Day Challenge
The 15 day Challenge is a set of activities that make the mind dive deep into your subconscious. You will be analyzing, letting go and creating a life based on progress. It is a great opportunity to cleanse the body, mind and soul for the upcoming year. This is a guide that can be used all year round to reset and recenter.`
Day 1: Declutter to Get Ready for your Day
Your Space is your Sanctuary
If you can only do one thing for the New Year, DECLUTTER.
In fact, our spaces over time become so full of items that are just sitting there, purposeless. You want to make sure that you are intentional with your materials. Do not have things just to have it. Ensure that all the items you have, have a value in your life.
Declutter your Closet
First I would recommend going through your closet. Take out everything you did not wear that year no ifs or buts. To effectively declutter you must let go of the clothing you do not wear.
In order to not waste clothing in good condition you can create two types of piles.
- Donation or Give Away Pile
- Clothes in good condition and can continue to be worn, donate it! There are plenty of clothes drives receiving clothes all year round.
- Also, you can sell it to a thrift shop if it is an expensive piece.
- Or you can simply give it away to friends and family. (As a younger cousin I LOOVE getting hand me downs!)
Clean your Room and Work Room
Next up is cleaning your room/workroom. I would say clean the house, but I’m not going to do that, so I think it’s best to start small.
Have the spaces you spend personal time in organized. When you walk into a clean room, your mind is at ease. In comparison when you walk into a messy room your mind starts to take over with thoughts about not having enough time AND adding on cleaning to your never ending to-do list. Being messy hinders your ability to be productive. At the end of the day it is a task you are constantly putting off.
Personally I am messy, and as much as I love to say, “en mi desorden hay orden” (in my mess there is organization), it is not true.
But this year I am trying to have my spaces be in tip top shape because it feels relaxing and it allows me to spend more time there with myself which is important for my self-care journey.
For whatever reason you decide to declutter make it purposeful. Ask yourself what does an organized space add to my life and keep it that way. You always want your spaces to alleviate your energy and not block it.
Electronics
If cleaning isn’t daunting enough, cleaning out your phone is exhausting.
Make sure you are deleting double photos and videos you’re not using..
Additionally, you can go through your contact list and your followers. Unfollow people you don’t know and block people who do not serve you. If you are seeing content that you don’t like, do not engage simply unfollow, delete, or skip by it.
Day 2: Intentions to Get Ready for the Year
Be Specific, Be Intentional.
What is your Intention for the 2023 New Year? This activity is my favorite activity by far. It is reflective, inspiring and surprising.
NOTE: I learned to set intentions practicing Yoga. My instructor would open the class with intentions, some would share out loud and others will peacefully keep it to themselves. Hence, the instructor would remind us to think about our intentions to make us re-focus.
Intentions are very powerful; as a matter of fact intentions can transcend from wishful thinking to reality.
Activity: You will be answering 3 Journal prompts that you can refer to all year round.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – I N T E N T I O N S
- Prompt #1 Why do I want to be ready for the New Year?
- You can write a paragraph or a list using bullet points
- Make sure that you answer thoughtfully
- Prompt #2 Write your 3 Intentions for the New Year.
- Create a numbered list 1-3
- Write down a sentence or two for each intention
- Create a Graph with six boxes, Title it My Six Things for 2023
- The Center box will be titled My Core Six
- Then add 6 boxes around the center one
- Fill in the boxes with topics you would like to work on in 2023
The six identified ‘things’ will be your CORE focus in 2023. You will commit to working on these things incrementally. Each time you do something for one of your topics, you are one step closer to your goals
Day 3: Goal Setting
Building off of your core six, create one specific goal for each core.
Activity: You will be turning your goals into something you can track and measure.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – G O A L S
- For each core ‘thing’ (should be six) write a specific goal
Example
Core Six Thing:
Lose Weight
Specific Goal:
I will lose 10 pounds in a span of 3 months by working out 5 times a week and making sure I incorporate a salad a day.
The difference? You can actually hold yourself accountable with a specific goal.
- You have a desired weight goal of losing 10 pounds
- You are giving yourself 3 months
- You are exercising 5 out of 7 days of the week
- You are incorporating a salad a day
Basically you want to create an easy to follow checklist to take steps towards your goals.
Day 4: Acceptance
*From day four on, give yourself space to be in your own presence to feel what you have to feel.*
Acceptance is an acknowledgement of a situation. Acceptance is the first step to move forward.
Activity: You will allow yourself to accept all the blessings and hardships that you have faced.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – A C C E P T A N C E
- Write down all of the Hardships you faced in 2022
- Write down all of the Blessings you faced in 2022
- Write affirmations relating to each situation you are currently working on accepting
The impact of this activity is that you are confronting an experience you had and letting yourself know that it is okay, that you can push through that hurdle and be better.
Example
Hardship:
One of the hardships you are facing is that you lost your job as a data analyst.
Affirmation:
I am a hard working data analyst
I will receive a better data analyst position
Please make sure you are taking your time working through difficult activities. You want to dig deep and evaluate you reactions and emotions. This is going to help you develop your intuition and self awareness.
Day 5: Lessons
If you are as STUBBORN as me, you are learning the same lesson over and over and over AGAIN.
Something has to budge, and that’s you.
So, let’s put the lessons we learned in 2022 into action!
Activity: Reflect on the lessons you learned in 2022.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – L E S S O N S
- Prompt #1 What is your biggest lesson in 2022.
- Prompt #2 What are the takeaways from the lesson you learned?
- Prompt #3 What is your best advice for the 2023 New Year?
- Read out loud your best advice while looking in a mirror
Day 6: Current Struggles
Every single human being is facing a set of struggles each and every single day. The difference between everyone else and you is that you are facing your struggles head on.
Activity: You will be acknowledging what struggles you are facing right now.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – C U R R E N T S T R U G G L E S
- Write down all of the things you are currently struggling with
- Identify why each struggle started and/or what triggers it
- Identify what alleviates each current struggle
Make sure after the journal activity you take the time to reflect. You have identifying the root of your struggles and can now take action steps to work on that.
Generally, some struggles may never go away, while some struggles are only temporary; but what’s important is that you are not giving your struggles the anchor to control you. You are in control of your struggle.
Day 7: Letting Go
Letting go is the action of release, wether physically or mentally. The instant gratification of a weight being lifted off your shoulders.
You want to go into 2023 as light as can be energetically. The energy that weighs you down increases insecurities that you do not want to feel.
Activity: Release the things that weigh you down. The things that no longer serve you.
Instructions:
- Grab a piece of paper
- Title it Things I want to let go in 2022
- Write down all the things you want to let go of
- Grab a pan and fill it with water
- Put the heat on High and let the water warm up
- Put your paper in the hot water and let it shrivel up
The representation of the paper shriveling up is the process of letting go. Undeniably the resentment you felt was taking up space in your mind. You have put it on paper and in hot water making it insignificant.
You no longer are giving your power away. The things you are letting go of are now out of your mind, out of sight and condensed to nothing.
Day 8: Gratitude
WHEEWWWW! Now that all the heavy stuff is out of the way lets re-focus. We are breathing and we’re alive. We have the opportunity to build the life we want to build with struggles and all.
Activity: Appreciate life for what it is at the moment.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – G R A T I T U D E
- Create a laundry list of all the things you are grateful for.
You can dedicate it you a higher power, the universe, to your God or even to yourself.
Your laundry list of Gratitude can have 100,000 points or 10 points, it doesn’t matter. Reflect on the things that make you happy, on what makes you stronger, and what makes you who you are.
Day 9: Identity
Building off your Core Six and goals. You are going to associate an identity you each set. Personalizing your goals make it possible to implement systems into you life that get you to your goal.
Activity: Create an identity to associate to.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – I D E N T I T Y
- Take each Core ‘thing’ and the goal you dedicated to it and create an identity for it
Example
Core six:
Lose Weight
Specific Goal:
I will lose 10 pounds in a span of 3 months by working out 5 times a week and making sure I incorporate a salad a day.
Identity:
I am a healthy individual,
consciously making decisions about what I eat
I am a strong athlete
I am consistent
The point of this activity is to find the root of who you are in each goal. Personalizing the goal to your identity makes it almost tangible because it becomes a part of you.
Day 10: Get Ready to Manifest the Year
They only thing keeping you from your dream life is your dedication to achieve it. If you do not take the time to work on your mindset and take action you will never see your dream life.
Activity: Journal about what you dream life looks like from morning to night.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – M A N I F E S T I N G
- Prompt #1 What does my dream life look like?
- In order to successfully manifest, write as many details as possible
- What does it look like from morning to night, day to day.
- Pray or meditate on it; because you know that the universe is on your side!
Day 11: Vision Board the Next 3 Months
A vision board is a visual representation that highlights your goals and aspirations.
Activity: You are going to focus on the next three months ONLY and create a vision board for it.
Instructions:
- Decide what you want to focus on the next three months
- Health
- Mental Health
- Career
- Personal Development
- Side Hustles
- Relationships
- Collect pictures from google and Pinterest that visualize your focus
- Print Pictures and create a vision board or upload pictures onto Canva to make a virtual vision board
Why are we only focusing on the next three months? It is because you want to get ready for one thing at a time without overwhelming yourself.
Day 12: Get Ready to Take Action
Despite other opinions, action is the MOST important step to takeaway from the 15 Day challenge.
Activity: Creating a list of things to go.
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – A C T I O N S
- Write down three action steps.
- Do them right away.
Congratulations after today you are one step closer to your goals.
Day 13: Get Ready to Write a Love Letter
As silly as it may sound, writing yourself a letter is the purest form of communication.
Writing a love letter to yourself is a like receiving a warm hug. It is the love we all crave and need.
Activity: Write a love letter to yourself!
Instructions:
- Head the page with the date and title – L O V E L E T T E R
- Use the Prompts to guide your writing:
- Prompt #1 How do you feel about yourself in the future?
- Prompt #2 Where are you?
- Prompt #3 Ask yourself questions about the future or something you would want to know.
- Choose a date when to read it and set a reminder.
The letter is meant for you to have a conversation with your future self. You can take different directions with your letter. So get ready to be emotional because you can:
- Motivate yourself
- Thank yourself
- Send yourself love and encouragement
Day 14: Get Ready for a Self Care Day
Personally a self-care day is what we all need in our lives.
Instructions:
- Set aside a day for self-care
- Choose things you want to do for yourself
- Prepare a nice meal
- Go to the Spa
- Do a facial
- Get your nails done
- Dance around your room
- Take yourself on a date
The point of a self-care day is to feel like you are being taken care of. It is essential to know that you have your own back.
Make it a habit this year to show yourself love. The better you treat yourself the better people you will attract into your life.
Day 15: Get Out of your Comfort Zone
If you really want to see who you are, get yourself out of your comfort zone. Surprisingly, when you get out of your comfort zone your survival skills start to kick in.
Instructions:
- Do an activity you wouldn’t normally do alone and do it!
- Be conscious
- Acknowledge how you are feeling
- What you are feeling
- Observe your actions
Example
If you decide to go hiking; and you’re afraid of walking downhill. Analyze at what point did you start to feel anxious. At which point did it scare you. Was it anticipated or did you only feel fear one you were looking down the hill?
The benefits of doing something alone is that you get to spend time with yourself. You getting to know yourself at a more intimate level.
When you are out of comfort zone you face doubt, insecurities and other uncomfortable feelings. Take notice of your thoughts, emotions, actions, and reactions to see if you can figure out why.
New and Improved YOU
The biggest takeaway is that you are in control. You can change your life in the matter of days if you put your mind to it. To get ready for the new year is more than just planning, it is taking that first step to become a better version of yourself.
Don’t be afraid to do the work or get to know yourself. Growth is a matter of consistency. The more time you invest in yourself the brighter the outcome.
The toughest challenge you have, is to overcome your own mental blocks. If you would like more motivation read our New Year’s Resolution for Self-Improvement!
