New Year’s Resolutions That Actually Work Without The Stress
Welcome to 2020!
It’s New Year’s Eve and I know what you may be thinking… forget the resolutions, I’m not going to stick to them anyways, and then I’ll be so stressed out and hating myself for not sticking with it. I know because I’ve been there right with you. For so many years I would make a resolution and give a half ass attempt to stick it out. Sometimes I really did do great (like the year I gave up getting takeout of any kind… lasted a whole 6 months… now that one I was very proud of). Then other times I truly bombed (you know those years you say you’re going to lose weight but then New Year’s follows on a weekday and who can start a diet on a weekday. Plus you’re also left with a ton of “bad” food in your house that just has to be consumed, so your resolution lasts through maybe breakfast, but then not another hour past that). Ahem, not saying I did that or anything.
I’ve learned a lot however since the previous years of my many, many, failed attempts. I actually look at this time of year completely differently, and went from dreading it (who else sneaked some extra cake or cookies on New Year’s Eve to get one last sugar fix in?), to actually truly enjoying this time of year. I no longer think resolutions are some big joke that everyone just laughs at, or a race to see who lasts the longest. Nothing is worth the added stress of seeing how long you can last before you fail. Instead, I now look at this time of year for evaluating my life, rather just focusing on what I may need to stop doing. Every year I set aside a few minutes to a few hours, depending on how elaborate I want to get, and contemplate how my previous year was. I ask myself a few questions about what I may have done or been through. I look at the positives and the amazing things that happened. I also look at what may not have went so well or times I was hurting. Then I work a little magic to release what I no longer need.
The New Year is a great time to take stock in where you are in your life, and look at what really serves you and what doesn’t. Once I come up with a few things that no longer support me, or a situation that was really unpleasant and I’m done with, I work my magic. I write down those things that I no longer want on small pieces of paper thinking about that thing/situation in detail while writing it down. Then I simply burn those pieces of papers and let the fire transform that energy into something positive. If you heat your home with wood in the winter then this can be as easy as tossing it into your fireplace. If not you can create a little fire outside, or simply use a candle to light your papers. Just know that once the papers are burned it is done and that energy is released to be transformed.
Now comes my favorite part… planning for 2020. Now that you released what you no longer need, think about what you do need in your life. I usually answer similar questions about my previous year in regards to how I want my future year to go. Is there a certain thing I really want to do? Something I really want to achieve? Something I need to work on? I may do some journaling or simply make a list (I’m a huge list maker for those that don’t know me so that one is always in there somewhere 🙂 ). Some years it may be one item, and some it’s a whole page of items. The most important thing is to not look at what you come up with as mandatory obligations, but rather goals you want to work towards and energy you want to bring into your life. This isn’t something that is supposed to stress you out and something that you can fail at. This is a way to contemplate your life and really take stock at where you are at and where you want to go.
Once I have my goals laid out or things I want to accomplish I take a few moments to think about how I will make that come into fruition. This is the game changer to actually having those “resolutions” get accomplished. If you just come up with an idea, say you want to lose weight, that’s great, but unless you come up with a plan on how to do it it’s not as easy for it to be successful. So with this example you might want to say you will take the stairs instead of the elevator going to work two days a week. The key is to start off with simple steps you can implement right away, and not things that will set you up to fail… unless of course your office is up 20 flights of stairs! Another way of putting all this energy into fruition is to make a vision board with all your 2020 desires. All you need to do is take a piece of plain paper and write down your plans for the year, and the energy you want to bring in. You can get very creative and include pictures and specific details if you choose; just make it fun.
Now this isn't something that has to be completed before New Year's day!
I always aim to try and do my reflections before January is over at the latest. The great thing about this time of year is that the whole world is celebrating New Year’s in one way or another and there are millions of people trying to make changes in their lives at the same time. This means there is a universal energy of change and motivation right now and it’s a great time to tap into that energy. So no matter how simple I feel like making my reflections that year I always do them around that time for that purpose. But remember… the most important thing is to not stress about them. This is meant as a way to bring more peace into your life… not overload it. So if life is too chaotic this year just give a nod of positivity for your 2020. Then come back to reflecting on your life when things ease up, and know that anytime is a great time to contemplate your amazing past, present, and future.
I created a free reflections and planning worksheet just for you. Click below if you would like to access it!
Planning and Reflections Worksheet
