WoW! launches its Reset 2024 series, to get your year off to the perfect start

IT’S that time of year when we take a look at our lives and see what improvements we can make. From family life, to work life, our health and wellbeing, how our homes are operating, are we eating well, are we getting enough exercise. After all, we all want to live our best lives, right!

In WoW!, we wanted to give you an extra helping hand, in looking at the different areas of your life, areas that you might like to tackle in 2024 - areas you might like to ‘reset’.

When we talk about resetting, it’s like a new beginning, or a stopping and starting again - in a bid to do things a little different, a little better, to improve our lives.

Over the next four weeks, we will bring you hints, tips and nuggets of advice from Cork women who are top in their fields. From doctors, to pharmacists, wellbeing practitioners, to professional organisers, workplace coaches and financial experts, budgeting gurus, and much more.

Today, we kick-start the series with a feature on decluttering and organising your home. There are some fabulous tips from professional organiser Vera Keohane on page three - perfect as you get ready to take down your Christmas decorations.

Meanwhile, on page six and seven we have Dr Doireann O’Leary giving us a helping hand on how to improve our health in 2024. She has even penned us a piece on what different women, of various ages, should be looking out for - a health check list for the ages.

Then, on page eight and nine, our WoW! health and wellbeing columnist Dr Michelle O’Driscoll has penned us a great piece all about how to mind our wellbeing in the year ahead.

What I love about all these contributions is that everything they set out is completely achievable. There are no major unrealistic challenges - the advice they give, the goals they suggest, are ones we can all adopt in our lives.

And who says they have to all be done in January - that might be too much of a feat. But maybe start with one topic this month - and work on that - before moving onto the next section.

Or do one small thing from each feature, each month.

For example, write down your goals for your health in 2024 - and then ask yourself what one step will you take in January to achieve that?

Or if you want to start a major declutter - what will be your one goal in January? Then write down what you might want to tackle next in February..., etc, And as they year goes on, work your way through all of those.

Your ‘reset’ doesn’t have to happen overnight, or in 24 hours, or even in 31 days in January.

Don’t let it overwhelm you, as you will then throw in the towel. Take small, achievable steps - and you will get there in the end.

None of us want to be there in mid-January, not having achieved everything that is suggested, and feeling miserable.

Be realistic. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by thinking you need to implement everything the experts suggest today, or this month.

It may be a longer process, throughout the entire of 2024.

Next week, the series continues, with advice on how to reset your career, or your work life.

There is also a section on fitness - how you can up your exercise game in 2024.

There is a feature on healthy eating too - how you can improve and create life-long healthy eating habits in 2024.

In WoW! on January 17 (week three), we look at resetting your wardrobe. There is also advice from relationship experts. And some super advice from financial and budgeting experts on getting to grips with your finances in the year ahead.

Finally, on January 24, we have advice on how to live a more sustainable, greener life.

Plus, a piece by Kate Ryan on how to get the most out of the most hard-working room in your house - the kitchen.

And that will bring us to a close of the feature series.

We hope you will take something from each week, and be able to implement it in your life.

As well as following the series in print, we will also be putting it up online at EchoLive.ie - where it will be available for you to reference throughout the year.

Wishing you the happiest New Year.