AD | This is a sponsored post and features a product that has been gifted to me in exchange for a review. All opinions are honest and my own. This post also contains affiliate links.
It may only be October, and you might not have thought much about the new year yet, but believe me, it will come round quickly. It’s a good idea to prepare for the new year early, so that you can get off to the best possible start. Let’s take a look at 5 sensible and practical ways to prepare for the new year before it starts, and hopefully set yourself up to make it your best year yet!
5 Practical Ways To Prepare For The New Year
1. Set Goals
If there are particular things you’d like to achieve next year, setting goals is important. You’re much more likely to achieve something if you have set smart goals to keep you on track.
Start by setting your overall yearly goals. Where would you like to be a year from now? Be as ambitious as you like, but also try to be realistic. Then, break down your goals into smaller, manageable steps. Personally, I like to set myself monthly and weekly goals. So perhaps start by writing goals for January that will support your yearly goals. Then, zone in even more and write goals for the first week of the year, so you are ready to take your first steps as soon as the year begins.
2. Make a Vision Board to Illustrate Your Goals
It can be very helpful to put your goals into visual form by creating a vision board. A vision board is a blank canvas onto which you paste images, text and other visuals that represent your goals. For example, if one of your goals is to get fit and healthy, you could paste images of fit-looking people, exercise equipment, and healthy foods. Or if you dream of going on a big holiday, you could paste images of your desired destination.
A vision board can be digital, such as a Pinterest board, or physical, i.e. an actual physical board with paper images printed from the internet, or cut out from books and magazines, and stuck to the board with glue or tape.
The idea is that you display your vision board somewhere prominent, and look at it often, both before and during the new year. This will serve as a constant reminder of your goals and will help you to stay focused, strengthen your resolve, and increase your likelihood of reaching them.
You can build your vision board from scratch, or use a ready-made resource to make it much easier. Let’s take a look at an example.
The 2026 Vision Board Clip Art Book by Manifestation Pulse
This helpful book, put together by Manifestation Pulse, is a collection of photos, images and text that are perfect for including on a vision board. This saves you the time and effort trawling through magazines trying to find suitable images to cut out. There are over 650 images in The 2026 Vision Board Clip Art Book, organised into popular goal themes such as career, family, love, travel and health. There are plenty to choose from including many that are generic and applicable to almost any goal (for example, images of happy, smiling people, and inspirational quotes) so there will be plenty of relevant ones to include on your board.
There is also a section at the front of the book that shows detailed instructions on how to make your vision board, as well as valuable advice on how to get the most out of it. There are also exercises on how to set goals for the year, which would be super helpful with your yearly goal setting.
Last year, I made a vision board using the 2025 version of the book, and I described the whole process of creating my vision board, so do check that out for an example. I’m very excited to make my new vision board for 2026 using my shiny new clip art book! The great thing is that I still have loads of images left over in last year’s book, so I can use those too.
A vision board is a great way to prepare for the new year, but of course, you can make a vision board at any time of year, or update your board if your goals evolve over time.
3. Declutter Your Home
People typically talk about spring cleaning, but why not get a head start. The latter part of the year is a great time to have a clear out so that you can start the new year in an uncluttered space. After all, it’s said that a cluttered home creates a cluttered mind. By clearing the clutter, you’ll be in a better headspace for working on your goals for the year. It will feel like a fresh start.
4. Get Organised with Calendars and Diaries
This is not so relevant if you only use your phone calendar. But if you, like me, still like to use paper diaries and calendars, make sure you’ve purchased them in advance for the new year. That way, any plans that you make for next year can already be put in your diary or on your calendar as they arise, to save extra effort or confusion when the new year arrives.
It’s also a good idea to write in any birthdays, anniversaries and other special dates in your diary or calendar, to make sure you remember them throughout the year.
5. Make Sure Your Finances are Organised
The end of the year is a good time to get organised with your finances. Make sure all your bills are paid, your vehicle tax and insurance are renewed, and any licenses are up to date. Go through your subscriptions and cancel any that you don’t use. Make a budget for your Christmas shopping, and even make a budget plan or savings plan for next year.
If you are self-employed, remember that you’ll need to complete your self-assessment tax return by the end of January, so either get it done in advance or schedule it into your January goals.
How Prepared Are You for the New Year?
On the practical side of things, getting your finances in order and your calendars up to date will make a big difference in feeling prepared for a brand new year. By having a declutter, you will set the scene for a productive workspace and clutter-free home. Most importantly, by setting goals, and bringing them to life on a vision board, you will enter the new year with a sense of purpose, motivation and direction. With the help of tools such as The 2026 Vision Board Clip Art Book, creating a vision board has never been easier and it will make a big difference to your life next year.
In what ways do you prepare for the new year? Have you ever made a vision board? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments below – I’d love to read about them.
