13 Things Every Wise Woman Should Do In 2023
Photo by Gian Cescon on Unsplash
A new year has come, and with its dawn comes new expectations, adventures, and hopes. We each have a deep desire for this next year to be better than the last, spending the last week or two of December coming up with our resolutions that we will begin fulfilling once the first morning of January comes.
And while many New Years’ resolutions don’t pan out the way we’d planned, we still believe that it’s essential to walk into a new year with a desire to improve. Which is why we’ve put together a list of 13 things that every wise, thoughtful, brilliant woman will do in 2023.
01 | Create a morning quiet time.
The way we spend our morning sets the tone for the rest of our day. Even if it means getting up 30 minutes earlier than you normally do, make a commitment to have quiet, lifegiving mornings—whether you open your Bible, journal, or meditate.
02 | Read at least one book per month.
If you can read even more, hooray! But life is busy, and it can take some time to get through a book, especially a lengthy classic. However, reading is an important habit to cultivate, being that it’s been shown to improve memory, help to reduce stress, and strengthens your brain’s connections.
03 | Find a good counselor.
Millennials and Gen Z are far more open about their mental health than past generations were. This is wonderful progress, but we shouldn’t stop at simply talking about it. We should also take it upon ourselves to improve our mental health by finding a good, trustworthy, experienced counselor to walk through and overcome our struggles with.
04 | Cook more at home & learn new recipes.
It’s tempting to order out often, what with delivery services that do all the work for you and a busy, chaotic life. But cooking is one of the most important, empowering life skills one can cultivate, and cooking the majority of your meals at home will save you all kinds of money. Challenge yourself to learn a new recipe every few weeks this year.
05 | Go on frequent friend dates.
Whether you’ve already found your kindred spirits, or you’re still looking for the Diana to your Anne, make a point of focusing on your friendships (and not only your romantic relationship) this year by having frequent friend dates. Have regular sleepovers with your old pal, and don’t be afraid to ask a girl you think you’d get along with out to coffee.
06 | Exercise regularly.
There is no one “right” way to exercise—some of us enjoy swimming, others might decide to try running, and some might opt for pilates. Nonetheless, regular exercise will help improve your brain health, fend off disease, keep you agile, and will make everyday activities far easier, making it one of the most essential rhythms of health to implement in your new year—even though many of us don’t exactly “enjoy” it. Experiment with different types of exercise to see what works for you, your body type, and your schedule.
07 | Implement social media breaks.
It’s frightening how easy it is to spend hours a day scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter—especially when we see our social media scrolls as our way of “taking a break” from the chaos of the day. This year, take breaks from social media instead; that might look like not logging on before/after a certain time of day, or only opening Instagram on certain days of the week.
08 | Get more sleep.
Sleep is often the first thing on the chopping block when life gets hectic and full. However, getting regular, full, uninterrupted nights of sleep will actually improve your attention, allows your body to repair and rejuvenate, and will only have positive effects on your mental and emotional health.
09 | Come up with a savings plan.
As Millennials and Gen Zers, it can feel like we’ll never be able to afford anything of worth—not a house, a car, or simply a comfortable life. And while financial times are certainly tough for us, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bother saving for the future. This year, create a savings plan that will improve your financial health, even if it seems fruitless at first.
10 | Make a cleaning/home maintenance schedule.
The state of our home, whether it’s a grand house or a modest apartment, dictates how we feel about our life. And don’t we all feel much better in a clean, organized, fresh space? Cleaning isn’t fun for most of us, but it’s a necessary rhythm for adults. This year, create a cleaning schedule (laundry on Mondays, kitchen deep-clean on Tuesdays, etc) that will help keep you from getting overwhelmed.
11 | Schedule a doctor’s appointment.
It’s incredibly easy to forget to schedule your yearly doctor’s appointment, especially when COVID threw all of our patterns off. But it takes just a few minutes to call and set up a visit, and taking care of your health is ultimately worth far more than that in the long run.
12 | Visit a new city, state, or country.
It’s not necessary, but traveling is meaningful nonetheless. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and life, whether you simply explore the next state over or fly across an ocean to a foreign land, is worth the time, effort, and money—you’ll gain an experience that you’ll never forget.
13 | Wear sunscreen every single day.
Yes, even on days spent inside. Sunscreen is absolutely critical to your skin’s health, protecting you from damaging UV rays, cancer, and premature aging.