Happy New Year! The beginning of the year always feels so full of promise and possibility, doesn’t it? But there’s also a lot of pressure!

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Everywhere we turn, whether on social media or in line at the grocery store, there are tips and tricks on how to become the best version of yourself over the coming months. Even when you were doing your best before the calendar flipped to Jan. 1. Even when there’s a global pandemic about to enter its third year.

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I did all the things you’re “supposed” to do to usher in the new year.

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I dismantled my holiday decorations, cleaned my house top to bottom, organized my files so I could have a calm workspace come January, spent some time on the couch reading and binging movies to rest my brain, and planned healthy(ish) meals after a few weeks of overindulgence (someone had to make up for all the parties that omicron cancelled in December).

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I’d done everything I could to set myself up for another year of creating content.

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When it came time to sit down at my desk and write my first article for 2022, however, the blank Google Doc before me stayed…well, blank.

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Somewhat menacingly, the cursor blinked over and over. I had nothing. This wasn’t one of those days where the thoughts just flowed. There was no spark of inspiration.

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Was that the TV I heard calling me from the other room?

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Wouldn’t now be a great time to sift through 600 emails that need sorting?

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Should I put this aside for another time when I’ll be in a more creative mood?

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But I’m meant to be the Best Version of Me this year!

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Why can’t I get it together? And so on.

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I’ll be the first to admit I’m not great at managing expectations, in that the ones I set for myself are too high. Top that with those societal pressures about the new year and coping with chronic anxiety, and it can set one up for a lot of disappointment.

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What I want to do and what I can reasonably get done in the span of a day are two very different things, and then I am hard on myself when I don’t accomplish everything I planned.

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“Building a business is hard work, even if it’s something you do for fun on the side. It requires not only ambition and drive but also a healthy mindset. ”

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But! New year, new me, right? (Lol.) Back to my desk.

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I allowed myself to spiral for a few minutes, then I did something else: I thought about my brand’s mission.

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I reflected on my purpose, which is far bigger than a temporarily blank page. Reminding myself why I’m doing what I’m doing gave me the bit of willpower I needed to quiet the little voice inside that was telling me to do absolutely anything other than the task at hand.

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I told myself I could organize my inbox or watch TV if I spent half an hour working on the one thing I really needed to do. So I began typing whatever came to mind. Within a few minutes, I had three paragraphs. And then I kept going — and I didn’t stop when 30 minutes had passed.

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The hardest part of any content creation project is starting. So just start. It doesn’t matter if it’s good, or mediocre, or the worst thing you’ve ever done (it probably isn’t). You can always revisit it later with fresh perspective.

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As resellers navigating the world of selling on websites and social media, you are content creators, too. Prolific ones, actually.

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So if you find yourself feeling stuck for inspiration (or if the latest string of COVID-19 lockdowns have got you down) this new year, just try what comes to mind first, even if it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work.

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Whatever your reselling business goals are for 2022 — and you have many, including live hauls, boosting your social media engagement, brand-building, increasing your community support and collaborations, upping your creative game and improving your customer service, according to a recent survey of our Instagram followers — think about tackling them bit by bit.

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Choose one item on your to-do list and then break your time down into manageable chunks, like half-hour increments.

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For some time-saving tips sourced directly from the vintage and thrifting community, check out our recent post Six Time Management Tips for Vintage Sellers. And if you want a little help with goal setting, read 15 Growth Hacks for your Vintage-Selling Business or Five Ways to Enhance Your Vintage-Selling Brand.

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Goals are great, and so is digging deep to find that spark of inspiration to create content.

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But building a vintage-selling business is hard work, even if it’s something you do for fun on the side. It requires not only ambition and drive but also a healthy mindset.

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So in 2022, take some time out for self-care. In that same survey I mentioned, our Instagram followers said they like to relax by going outside, unplugging from social media and/or their phones, reading, watching TV, getting exercise, treating themselves to snacks or fancy coffees — and yes, thrifting! I plan to do all of the above, too.

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On that note, I wish you a mindful and prosperous 2022, whether you are building a new resale brand, growing your existing one, exploring new ways to create content or holding steady where you are.

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The Vintage Seeker will be here to provide you with support, resources and insight no matter where you are in your buying and selling journey.

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And here’s to giving ourselves space, to managing expectations, and to just starting to see where it takes us.

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Here’s to taking our own advice.

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How do you set yourself up for content-creating success when the new year rolls around? Let us know in the comments!

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