A New Take on New Year’s Resolutions

At the end of every year, looking ahead to the shiny, sparkling gift of the year to come, we sit down to write goals.  Though they’re most likely things we’ve written down many times before (exercise! eat healthier!).  I’ll admit I’ve come across prior resolutions lists and realized they’re the same resolutions I still have (hopefully I’m not alone here), and wonder how an entire year has gone by and I feel like I’ve walked in a circle.  There has to be a better way to make our resolutions a reality.  Here are some ideas that have helped me and I hope will help you too.

1.  Create a Theme for the New Year

All of the credit for this idea goes to a dear friend of mine who always assigns a theme word for the new year.  And now I do too.  This word creates a theme that sets the tone for the new year, and for your resolutions.  My theme for this coming year is “Elevate.”  Within this theme, I’ve set goals for (1) mindfulness (daily meditation), (2) relationships/parenting (patience and presence), and (3) wellness (consistent yoga).  All things I hope will elevate my mind, body, spirit, and relationships.  And because they’re all thematically related, each goal supports the other.  Think of where you are today, and where you want to be.  What word best supports this shift?  Maybe your theme is Nature, and your goals all relate to connecting with mother earth and her rhythms.  Maybe its Family, Reflection, Growth, Investment, Abstinence, Sobriety, Change, Love, Forgiveness…what word will get you where you want to be at the end of 2021?  Decide on that word and set three goals within that theme that will support you on that journey.

2.  Be Specific

It’s easy to say you want to exercise more, be healthier, work harder, or be a better parent.  But how do you apply these goals in daily life?  Our goals need to be specific.  If you want to exercise more, then decide what exercise and when you will do it.  Spin every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 30 minutes, and do yoga every Tuesday and Thursday for 25 minutes. Meditate for 15 minutes each morning before waking up the kiddos.  Practice guitar for 20 minutes every Tuesday and Thursday night.  Cut out all refined grains.  Limit meat to three meals per week.  Whatever it is, be specific.  Add your goals to your daily calendar.  Make weekly checklists.  Whatever works for you.  But don’t be general.  General goals just give way to our ingrained habits.  Arm your goals with more strength than that.

3.  Habit Stack

Habit stacking will support your specific goals.  Habit stacking is taking an existing daily habit, like drinking your morning coffee, or brushing your teeth, and stacking a new habit on top of it.  One of my specific wellness goals this past year has been drinking more water.  I can habit stack this goal onto my morning cup of coffee by drinking 20 ounces of water before and after I have that cuppa joe, so by late morning I’m already well on my way to good hydration for the day.  Maybe you want to meditate every day, but can’t rally in the morning without falling asleep.  Instead, after lunch every day, you can stack on 10 minutes of meditation (and if you’re lucky enough to live in a place with nice weather, meditate outside for a lovely dose of nature and vitamin D!).  Or if you read every night, maybe you consider stacking on a little crosswording if your goal is brain growth.  Be creative!  You likely have a lot of daily habits that can serve as the foundation for additional healthy goals.  Utilize your sameness to introduce some change!

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2020 has been quite a year, hasn’t it?  Regardless of circumstance, I think it’s been a time of significant reflection for all of us.  Let’s allow that reflection to guide us thoughtfully into this new year.  Choose your theme, be specific about your goals, and utilize habit stacking.  By the end of 2021, I hope we’re all looking back at a year of growth and ahead to a year of new resolutions. 

We are so lucky to be living this beautiful life.  Cheers to the new year, and cheers to you!