Embrace the Unknown, Be You, and Thrive!
You won’t lose anything by not following the crowd!
In addition to the Christmas holiday, December is also notable for the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions and the annual selection of “Words of the Year.”
For those of us without any plan to do so, it can feel worrying. We are quietly thinking in our head: should we join the crowd? Let’s explore.
First, ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Do you normally make a list of New Year’s resolutions?
2) If the answer is yes, are you able to finally accomplish any of them?
3) If the answer is no, do you know why you are not able to do so?
If you’re anything like me, setting New Year’s resolutions has ended in repeated disappointment due to a lack of discipline. Instead, consider my approach: live purposefully and set shorter-term goals, weekly or monthly, rather than waiting for a new year to start something new.
Take reading, for instance. Perhaps you’ve aimed to read at least one book per month but when it came down to actually doing it, you ended up not started reading any book. So, what my trick is, I know my timeline and schedule when I have time to read a book. For example, I cannot read a book every month, because I do not have time while working 9–5 and spending quality time with my kids on the weekend. However, when there is a long vacation or when my workload is not that high, I can spend many hours that day trying to finish the book.
It all works by allocating your time. If I told myself that I had to finish this one book every month, I would end up pressuring myself to finish it without enjoying it or rushing through it without remembering anything after reading.
In my opinion, New Year’s resolutions can be overrated for certain types of people. Just like the ‘word of the year,’ it’s fine if you don’t have one. If anyone asks “Hey, what is your word of the year?”, in my opinion, a simple reply like “I’ll just be myself” suffices. Similarly, when people inquire about my Ikigai (a Japanese concept representing the intersection of one’s passion, mission, vocation, and profession), I will simply respond that I don’t have one.
Instead, I focus on recognizing the small achievements that bring me happiness, like those moments when people compliment me or when I am proud of myself for doing the things at which I excel.
This, to me, is already a fantastic starting point.
You don’t have to feel the pressure from other’s expectations, success, or growth from others. Having a clear path in your life and career takes time, with more experience, comes the vision. Be who you are, and value yourself, keep learning and improving until you find a clear path.
For me, the most important thing to do other than New Year’s Resolution is to have:
☘️ Self-awareness
☘️ Caring about people around you
☘️ Lifelong learning
☘️ Good physical and mental health
☘️ Kindness for others
It’s about the person you become on this journey. Looking forward to a wonderful year filled with growth, resilience, and acceptance of life’s beautiful uncertainties.
“You’ll be fine without New Year’s resolutions or words of the year.”
Connect with me for more positivity.
