New Year's Resolutions

Almost everyone makes them, and some people are able to work hard enough to see them through. Resolutions in the new year are a great way to accomplish changes that you are wanting to make. Having a new year as a fresh start can be really refreshing mentally and can give you that boost of motivation to get things started. Writing specific goals that you have for things to change in the new year is very beneficial for self development. But what makes a good and achievable resolution?

First, it is important to be a specific as possible. For example, a goal such as “travel more” is very non-specific and will likely not lead to any positive results. However, a resolution of driving to a new nearby place one weekend per month, flying to a new country every six months, or listing a few places you are committed to visiting this year is specific enough to get you in action. Whenever you have decided your resolution, begin planning and writing down how you are going to achieve it. For this example, you may begin by looking into your time off at work, checking the prices of flights, rebooking a hotel, and writing down on the calendar when you plan to do what. Then, whenever the time is closer, you can finalize plans and be one step closer to that goal.

Second, it is important to be positive with your resolutions. The stereotypical New Year's resolution of “lose weight”, for example, is not specific nor positive. Goals along similar lines that are worded in a positive way would be to work out five times per week an hour each, get five servings of vegetables per day, cut down soda drinking to one day per week, etc. These goals still focus on health and may attain the secondary goal of losing weight, but are more attainable and focus on choices that are in your control. Sometimes having a goal such as “lose weight” can instead be more of a punishment than a positive change if we are not achieving results as fast as we wish. We have a limited control over what our weight is, although we have ample control over the healthy choices that may affect it.

Third, it may be a good idea to have multiple resolutions to meet different needs in your life. Maybe one of your resolutions is a personal wish, such as to run a five minute mile or complete a marathon. But if you are struggling with some thing that could use your attention, such as mental health, perhaps consider a second resolution of attending therapy. New Year's resolutions are a great way to kick start self development, and it is important to balance what we would like to see in our lives versus what we need to change. If, for example, you are experiencing issues in your marriage, perhaps make it a resolution that will focus on strengthening your relationship as a couple.

Finally, it is important to keep ourselves in check by informing a couple of trusted people about our resolutions who may help us stick to our goals. If, for example, our resolution is to keep off your phone while eating or conversing with others, your family and friends should know so that they can help remind you if you forget or choose differently. Sometimes having an outside source to remind us to stay on track really helps. While it is not the responsibility of our friends and family to enforce our resolutions, they may wish for you to succeed in them as well and be happy to assist.

We are all capable of achieving whatever we wish to achieve, and we can begin trying for that now. It is never too late to initiate a new way of life, and this January provides a great chance for that. Sit down, scribble out a few changes you would like to see in your life, and formulate one or two resolutions from that list that would make the most positive change for you. Then, make a plan, inform your support system, and get to work! You can do this.

Kyndal Sims

Birch Psychology