My Hack for New Year’s Resolutions
Playing the percentages creatively
At the end of each year, like many of us, I begin to reflect on goals, desires and hopes for the next one. Sometimes it’s a look back at what worked for me, but mostly it’s a look forward. This year, I’m shifting my focus from a list of defined items to incorporating a ratio of specific things that make me feel fulfilled or happy every day. Similar to using the food pyramid to plan a balanced meal, my daily dose of fulfillment is a balance of achievement and enjoyment. Here are the contents of my plate.
My ideal day would have a mix of activity, relaxation, and creativity. I can design combinations or freeform each day. The percentages of each may seesaw, but all three elements need to be in play each day for my ultimate fulfillment as a Being.
Activity is essentially movement — exercising both the body and the mind, often with some social engagement. My activities are walking, hiking, tennis, strength training, Essentrics®, dancing, biking, tidying up, fixing or organizing things, learning, going to museums, shopping, gardening, playing with my pets, talking with friends, and going/dining out.
Relaxation for me involves a great deal of listening — to music, podcasts, mediations, and sounds of my surroundings, my neighborhood or the natural environment. It’s also a mix of slow movement while still using the mind, such as highway driving, reading, thinking, tea drinking, journaling, viewing (photos, art, nature, movies), kitty cuddling, singing, bathing, walking. I also quiet the mind through candle lighting, deep breathing, watching the flames dance in the fireplace, napping, and stretching.
Creativity is making anything, including money through my work — designing, sketching, brainstorming, writing, and drawing. My leisure-time pursuits are cooking, baking, nesting, decorating, wrapping gifts, making paper things, assembling my stationery goods, designing, photography, and haikus.
This approach works across the arc of my day and there’s little chance of failure — the unchecked box. Gasp! Success is simply measured by striving for a balanced day. I can also divide each element into small chunks and string them together like beads, creating either a wildly random design, controlled wide stripes, or a repeat pattern. It’s a goal or practice that can span the arc of my lifetime, rather than just a single line item to check off.
This concept of balance may seem obvious to some, but being a GenXer and a reformed Type-A personality, most of my life has been skewed heavily towards doing things — achievement with a dash of enjoyment. As I do find joy in accomplishing things, I’ve incorporated that into the activity side of my balance arc. At first, I had to force myself to value relaxation, or “doing nothing” as my Xer thinks of it. I’ve gotten pretty good at it on vacations and during lockdowns, but never thought of it as satisfying. Reframing it as part of the day has made it more desirable, restorative, and enjoyable. Creativity, however, is something I cannot live without. I feel sort of rudderless if it’s missing from my day, but luckily a little goes a long way.
Turns out activity and relaxation merge really well, like a collaboration where you don’t know whose idea was whose. If you throw in creativity too, well, heck, that’s a great day. Some single activities have all the elements mixed together naturally and stretch the entire arc for me. No wonder I enjoy them so much! Three that come to mind:
Beach day — swimming, beachcombing, spike-balling, listening, viewing, collecting shells, and building sandcastles
Traveling — walking, biking, learning, tasting, shopping, viewing, and collecting images (photography)
Gardening — bending, digging, squatting, lifting, listening, smelling, nurturing, and creatively combining plants
What activities give you balance now … and perhaps for the arc of your life?I’d love to hear about it.
Cheers and Happy New Year!
p.s. One resolution I will make: reduce my single-use plastics (without sacrificing my berries for breakfast).
