On New Year’s Day I was scrolling through Instagram. You can see already that people are ready to jump into their resolutions. Steven is posting about his new running gear, Gemma has posted about the number of books she wants to read this year and so on.
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The Revolt on Resolutions
But I keep seeing posts that declare we should not set resolutions. That resolutions inevitably fail or asking why should we only set goals one time of year. And I get it. I really do. Especially about only being allowed to set goals once a year, it’s silly.
Some of my resolutions that quickly lost momentum in years past:
- Losing weight
- Keeping in touch with friends
- Hitting huge/crazy financial goals
- Having more patience
So last year I didn’t set any goals, I just chose a Word of the Year. I liked having one word to guide me and I have set a new word again this year.
Return of the Resolutions
One of the things that 2020 taught me was that I need to have clear focus on my goals. I’ve also learned that there may be circumstances that occur that I could never have predicted that throw me off course, such as a global pandemic, but I need those clear goals with defined milestones to help me find the path again.
I am not saying everyone should set goals in the new year but what I think the practice has merit. For many, it’s the only time they are reminded to even have goals. I know for most of my life that was the case. But I’m more equipped than ever to reach those goals.
So I will set them. I will measure them monthly and quarterly. I will set mini-rewards. I may redefine them. I mean, I’m an adult. I’m in charge of me (my fav affirmation). As long as I’m doing it from an honest place that moves the needle closer to things I want for my life, my Story, then that’s what I will do.
Growth
Because I like my life. I appreciate my body and my mind. I adore my friends and family. But I want to squeeze what I can out of life. It’s not a “grass is always greener” situation. I’m not constantly unhappy and reaching for a life I will never attain. It is more that I want to continue to grow into the best version of myself (as defined by me) that I can until my flame goes out. I know setting resolutions (goals) isn’t the only way to grow but it’s one tradition I’ll embrace this year.
Look back to move forward
To prepare myself for my resolutions and picking my WTY, I start in December/Early January by reviewing the previous year. Last year was hard so it is more important than ever to look back and record your achievements. I’m sharing my template with you below.
Year in Review
Performing a Year in Review can give your a fresh perspective on how far you have come and clarity on where you want to go. This is also a great exercise for VAs to perform their own annual review.
Find the success in your year with our Year in Review template.
Simple tricks to make them stick
There are some things you can do to give your resolutions a fighting chance.
- Truly believe it’s possible. Visualize it. Allow yourself to believe youve already achieved it. See it. Feel the emotion of telling others you have done it. Repeat that often.
- Don’t set too many goals
- Write your goals down
- Have specific due dates
- Use an app to track your progress.
- Attach an emotion to the goal. How will you feel when you achieve your goal?
- Make them measurable. Think about how you will measure your success?
- Tell someone about them
- Have an accountability partner
- Listen to music when working on your goal. You can even try out Officials Hype Playlist on Spotify.
- Define short attainable milestones along the way
Are you setting resolutions this year? We’d love to hear them. Decided against it? Fab! You do you. We’d love to know how you feel in the comments below.
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