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Analysis
This week, I’ve been trying to scope out the vibes for 2023. The first week of January can be either completely chaotic or frustratingly slow. And while we did have an observed holiday on Monday, shortening the week, it seems that some people are already trying to make 2023 as efficient as possible. On my TikTok FYP, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk of organizing your whole year, buying new bullet journals, and everything else related to goal-setting.
Specifically, I’ve been seeing a lot of videos talking about a “12-week year,” which is basically the same thing as a quarter system that many companies use. The only difference is that quarters are referred to as “years,” and you’re supposed to fit what you would in one year in only one quarter.
As much as I like thinking ahead and goal-setting, the amount of videos about meticulously tracking each week is making me want to go to bed and pull the covers over my head. Can’t we just…take a beat? 2023 is not even a week old.
But the videos are in the same theme with videos I saw last year on the app about doing a “5 to 9” before your 9-5 job—and, yes, that’s referring to starting your day at 5am to workout, do an extensive skincare routine, meal prep, and more.
It’s great if people get enjoyment out of starting their day early and getting everything accomplished while still making time to socialize at night. However, if you’re on this side of TikTok, you may start to wonder if you’re meal-prepping and journaling enough. Thanks to “day in the life of” TikToks, we see a lot of content that shows you what an “ideal” day looks like. Of course, every person has a different vision of an ideal day.
Why it matters
If you haven’t written out every personal and professional goal for the first three months of the year yet, you’re doing fine. And if you’re like me—buys new calendars and journals every year, but stops filling them in halfway through the year—that’s OK, too. Look, the last three years have been a lot. You’re allowed to relax and decompress. You’re allowed to not have every 2023 goal sorted out during the first week of the year.
I haven’t fully figured out the 2023 vibes yet, but so far I’m leaning toward relaxed and cozy.