4 Life-Changing Things I Got for Free in 2023

Before I get into it, I just want to wish you all a Happy New Year, and welcome you to my first EVER blog post! I’m so happy you’re here, and I thank whatever miracle brought you here. On some level, I’m sure you will be able to relate to some of my upcoming posts. You might be asking yourself, “What is this even about?” Well, I’m here to shed some light on it for you. 

First, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I’m a big trier; I love DIY (“Do It Yourself”) projects. I also enjoy writing, researching, learning and I certainly do love a challenge. I’m big on trying new items to make my life easier and more efficient, all while saving money, and (sometimes) trying to look cute. Before buying a product, I’ll read reviews for hours and hours on multiple websites in order to see if it’s something worth purchasing. Once I feel like the product will provide a solution to my problem and make my life easier, without breaking the bank, I’ll dive right in. And thus, the blog was born. 

The Tried and True For You blog will focus on products I’ve tested that have proven themselves useful. Have you ever seen an advertisement and thought, “I wonder if this actually works?" Think of this as a try-before-you-buy experience. Especially in this day and age, social media offers a plethora of alluring advertisements and catchy marketing for products that have been targeted specifically to you. It’s hard NOT to make the purchase sometimes. But for those of you who hate doing the reading and research, I’m here to help. My goal is to offer my personal, authentic, and informative feedback that can offer you peace of mind before you buy (and try) a product. My very own “tried and true,” just for you. 

So here we are - January 2024. But before we get into 2024, let’s reminisce on 2023. What an interesting year it was. Last year was 12 months-worth of self-reflection, self-awareness, and putting good habits into place. I focused on becoming the best version of myself through journaling, positive affirmations, fitness, food and travel. All the things that I love most. I set goals and held myself accountable for reaching them. Yes, New Year's resolutions. I know what you’re thinking… “New year, new me.” But I don’t want to be a “new me.” As far as the saying goes, I’m not into it either. I’m here to become the very best version of myself, which at the end of my journey MIGHT be a new me, but I’m not there yet. And I still have a long way to go.

But who cares about that, let’s focus on YOU.

For my first ever blog post, I want to talk about 4 things that are 100% free, and have really changed my life. This year, I’m convinced that they can change yours, too. First things first - get yourself a paper and a pen. That’s all you need for these 4 free, life-changing items. I’ll be holding you accountable throughout the year.

1. INTENTIONS.

Write down your intentions for the year. Intentions are things that you plan on carrying out. Here are some tips and tricks on setting intentions:

• Be specific, but not too specific. For example, if you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, simply leave it at that. Don’t put a number on how many to eat per day or per week. You just want to eat more of them, so focus on adding them into your diet.

• Be realistic. If you didn’t work out once a month last year, don’t tell yourself you’ll be working out once a day this year. You’re setting yourself up for disappointment when the end of the year rolls around and you realize you didn’t follow through on your commitments. Think about how much time you can realistically dedicate to your intention per week, and go from there. 

• Make them attainable. If you intend to become a millionaire, that might not be reachable in a year’s time. Try looking through your income and spending habits from last year to give you an idea of what’s obtainable. Based on what you find, something like, “Save $XX.XX per month” is a good example of a feasible intention. 

• Set a reasonable amount. Your list of intentions should be between 3-5 for the year. Making a to-do list of 15 items to achieve in 12 month’s time can be discouraging and a lot to keep track of. You want to make sure you’re able to stay on top of your list.

Now that you’ve written down your intentions for the year, make sure you put them somewhere visible that’s part of your daily routine. If you make yourself a coffee every morning, stick it to the inside of the cabinet where your coffee mugs are. If you go to the office everyday, leave it as a note on your desk. Or quite simply, set it as your phone’s background photo. This is a surefire way to remind you of your intentions everyday. 

2. GRATITUDE.

I know you might be thinking, “it’s so easy to say what I’m grateful for, what is she talking about?” I’m talking about waking up and saying, “Thank you for making me see the light of another day.” I’m talking about daily gratitude for the things you’ve been blessed with. I’m talking about, even when you are having the very worst day, pausing to think of how the problem you’re dealing with is actually helping you in one way or another. Sometimes, you need to dig deep to find what those things are. It takes time and reflection to show gratitude. You can purchase a gratitude journal for under $15 if you’d like. But in the meantime, here are some prompts that you can write down to get brainstorming on your gratitude:

• “I’m good at…”

• “I will never take for granted that…”

3. POSITIVITY.

This one is so hard. As humans, we tend to concentrate on our more negative experiences, which stick to us more than our positive ones. A lot of the time, when we say things out loud, it comes out in a negative way. I know it might sound crazy, but this DOES keep a negative energy around you. Negativity is like a dark cloud hanging over your head that follows you around and keeps you in the dark. Monitor the words that are coming out of your mouth, and try to pick up on how many negative things you say in one day. You’ll be shocked to see that number. If your number is 0, fantastic! You are already one step ahead, so just continue doing what you’re doing. But for those of you who aren’t so confident, I challenge you to think about what you are saying out loud. When it’s about to come out as a negative statement, try to flip it to a positive one. A good way to reflect on this is to grab your trusty pen and paper, and playback your entire day in your mind. Write down every negative statement you said throughout the day, and try to convert it into a positive one. You’ll see how truly difficult this is, but how enlightening it could be to change your perspective to a positive one. I challenge you to try this. With more and more practice, you’ll see that you naturally start to recite more positive than negative.

4. AFFIRMATIONS.

Piggybacking off of positivity, I wish I’d known about this sooner. An affirmation is a positive statement made to motivate or challenge you to reach your full potential. Affirmations should be recited everyday to help tap into your mind and shift your thought process. They help alleviate some of the stress we experience on a daily basis. These are all powerful ways to turn your mindset into a positive one: 

• “There is no one better to be than myself.”

• “My mistakes help me learn to do better.”

• “I believe in myself.”

• “I can do whatever I set my mind to.”

And all you needed was a paper and a pen. I’m almost certain that if you try all 4 of these for just one year, it can truly change your entire life. Let’s make that year 2024. The best part is that it’s totally free of charge. 

I was able to change my life by applying these 4 basic principles through journaling. If you have a hard time reflecting and prefer to be prompted, you can check out Punch Studio’s journals, which you can find at Winners or Marshalls. For under $20, you can also purchase one from their website. 

All I can say is one thing: TRY IT. I’m positive you won’t regret it.

Love, Annamaria