Writing New Years Resolutions 101
Tips after the first year I’ve kept them.
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” ― Abraham Lincoln
Every year, but this one, in particular, marks a new beginning in our lives. New projects, new plans, and… the list of new intentions! Because a good start is half the battle, right?
On New Year’s Eve, I have always tried to set some good goals for the coming year, thinking that a whole new chapter of my life is starting.
In the best scenario, by January 6 I had already forgotten about them. in the worst case, at the end of the year, I found myself unsatisfied and disappointed with myself for not having succeeded.
Probably the reason for my failure was in the goals, too arduous to achieve, too unrealistic, or severe.
Read a ton of books, get up early every morning to go jogging, change mindsets, and change everything.
No. Stop.
For the first time in my life, in 2020 I kept all my resolutions during the year and I want to share with you some input that helped me a lot.
1. Achievable goals.
Your goals must be achievable, something that can be worked on every single day. In January we are not such different people as we were in December, so let’s start slowly.
I can’t set myself the goal of running a marathon if after 100 meters I’m already out of breath and have aching legs. Goals should be sustainable over time, they don’t’ have to require a lot of energy at the beginning and then be abandoned before the arrival of summer.
Also, remember that they should be clear: “getting fit” is a nice purpose but maybe a little generic. If I decide to train a few times a week or eat more fruit and vegetables instead of junk food it will be more maintainable and measurable.
2. Follow your interests.
The resolutions we choose must interest us, otherwise, we lose our motivation. Please do not choose clichés or the kind of goals that we put on the list out of habit (like do more sports, eat better, earn more money… and who wouldn’t want to?).
To make sense and push us to work on it, they must have value for us, for our life. what we put in a sense of duty — but in reality, it is far from our true desires — will remain firm in the list and, at the end of the year, we will think we haven’t concluded anything.
It doesn’t make any sense to read book after book compulsorily, just to be able to accomplish our purpose. Maybe, instead of choosing an exaggerated number of books, we can think of a more reasonable number for our lifestyle or how long we want to read every day.
3. Few but good.
Having a long list is not functional.
One thing that I found helpful last year was to divide my resolutions for each “sector” that I considered important in my life: mind, body, relationship, and career. This year I’ve reduced them only to two areas (mind and body) because it was more doable for me.
In my case, I’ve decided how many times a week I want to do yoga and pilates (goal for my body) and, for my mind, the mantra that I should remember to help my emotions and my thoughts during the year.
4. I am not my achievements.
If I don’t stick to my intentions, it’s fine, I’m not failing. Life is always very unpredictable, we do not know what it brings us. Maybe it will be something that does not allow us to continue our resolutions as we would like.
That’s okay, we can change and make adjustments as we go.
“And a step backward, after making a wrong turn, is a step in the right direction.” ― Kurt Vonnegut
Certainly, 2020 didn’t help us to live as we predicted but we did it anyway. So let’s thank ourselves for trying and for the results we achieve.
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