| 8 OPTIONS INSTEAD OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS | |
| For most of us, New Year’s resolutions don’t work out too well. We resolve to change our behavior for the better—this year, I’ll spend less time hanging out on social media. Or we resolve to achieve some big goal—this year, I’ll get to the gym at least five times a week. By February, we’re back to our same old habits. To make this new year better than the old one, instead of making New Year’s resolutions, try one of these options. |
| Pick a word for the year. Come up with a word that will direct you throughout the year. Keying on a single word keeps things simple, clear, and focused. Here are a few to consider: Excitement, Discipline, Joy, Action, Calm, Simplify, Success, Contentment. Make a list of things to look forward to. These could include a great vacation, a new piece of technology that’s coming out, or a new season of your favorite TV show. Think of all the things you’ve heard about that you’re anticipating in the coming year. Listing them all will help put you in a hopeful frame of mind. |
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| Set a goal for the year. Pick something you want to accomplish in the next 12 months. Maybe it’s to learn a new language, make a new friend, or pick up a new hobby or sport. This isn’t the same as a New Year’s resolution; it’s giving yourself the whole year to reach the goal. Come up with a 365-day project. Choose something you’ll commit to doing every day in the new year. Keep it simple, such as: waking up at the same time each day; posting a photo on Instagram every day; reading your child a bedtime story every night; and writing what you’re grateful for each day in a journal. |
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| Give yourself a New Year’s prompt. Instead of resolving to do something, a prompt just reminds you. It’s a simple sentence to call to mind each day. Here are a few examples. One person I’ll spend more time with this year: (name). One good habit I’m going to develop this year: (being on time). One bad habit I’m going to break this year: (interrupting people). Make a New Year’s bucket list. Write down the things you want to be sure to do before the year is up—a food you’d like to try; a trip you’d like to take; an activity you’d like to do; a performer you’d like to see. |
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| Create a 30-day challenge for each month. Make a list of 12 challenges—modest goals you can achieve in a month’s time—and write down the specific actions you’ll take to reach those goals. For example, if it’s a challenge to get your whole house clean in a month, give yourself one cleaning project a day. Decide on things you’d like to track or measure this year. These could be the food you eat, the time you spend working, where your money goes, and even your weight changes. You don’t have to decide now what you’ll do with the information, just see what ideas come up as you collect it. |
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