Welcoming the New Year with My 2018 Mantra

Getting Into the Right Mindset

When preparing for the new year, it’s essential to get into the right attitude. The burst of productive energy is incredible at the turn of a new year, but without the right direction, that energy can fizzle out and leave you feeling ineffective. That’s why I love coming up with mantras to help me orient myself towards my goals. I’m particularly happy with my 2018 mantra and I can’t wait to use it to make progress in the new year!

This is a spread is from my 2018 setup but I hope it can still serve to help inspire you as you prepare for the new year. If you’d like more inspiration you can check out my other new year spreads:

• My 2021 Bullet Journal Setup
• My 2020 Bullet Journal Setup
• My 2019 Bullet Journal Setup

Last Year’s Mantra

First, I want to talk about last year’s mantra a bit. I went into 2017 with the mantra “Done Not Perfect” to help me tackle my suffocating perfectionism. I used to struggle with my goals because I either never finished a project or never even started out of the fear that it wouldn’t be perfect. Thankfully, my 2017 mantra did the trick. When I found myself fretting about starting, working on, or finishing a project, I would say my mantra out loud and get into the work.

Due to this mantra, 2017 was a year of immense progress. I finished old projects, set new goals, and stopped fearing my own failures so much. That led to a ton of learning experiences and growth that simply wouldn’t have happened if I had continued my perfectionist tendencies. So all of this is to say that I fully am on board with the whole mantra thing.

My 2018 Mantra

This year, I want to embrace the spirit of the tortoise with the mantra “Slow and Steady”. I have been struggling with terrible anxiety lately because I have extremely high expectations for myself and goals don’t happen overnight. There are so many things I want to work on – both personally and professionally. But everything takes time to work, and I forget that sometimes. It’s frustrating to have to deal with the molasses-like nature of progress when I want to be there now.

“Slow and Steady” is a reminder for me to enjoy the journey and be more kind to myself. I am not Wonder Woman, and I need time to better myself and achieve my goals. I want my 2018 mantra to help me focus on my goals with steely determination and have patience with the process.

The Tortoise

Instead of lettering out my 2018 mantra, I decided to draw the animal that inspired me. I particularly enjoyed drawing, lining, and coloring the tortoise because it gave me time to zone out and think about the mantra in a deeper way. There’s nothing like drawing repetitive lines to help you zero in on your mantra and imagine all the ways you will rock the new year.

I drew the tortoise out in pencil, then lined him with a variety of Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens. After I was satisfied with my linework, I painted him with Dr. Ph. Martin’s Hydrus Watercolors using a Pentel Aquash Water Brush Pen.

I decided to go with a blue and green theme (both for my 2018 mantra and for the whole 2018 bullet journal set up) because those colors symbolize growth, calm, and healing. That’s exactly what I need to bring into my life, and I loved adding those sentiments to everything as I worked.

Moving Forward

As 2018 begins and brings all the potential of a new year, I am excited to start working on my goals. I know that with my 2018 mantra, I can be patient and have the determination to land my goals for the new year. It’s a new chapter of my life, and with the right attitude, I know that it will be one of the best chapters yet.