I wish you a happy new year. May it be a year full of light, joy, love, and health for all of us. With new dreams and answers. For everyone personally and as a whole.
Today we will talk about new year’s resolutions. I usually think of new beginnings and make a retrospection:
- at the beginning of the year,
- every September, and
- on my birthday.
I am sure you have heard of the compounding effect. It is the process by which we put new habits into our lives instead of new goals. Because small, daily habits lead us to achievement.
Let’s see some examples of goal setting for different interests
- Read fiction
- Paint
- Write a book
- Travel
- Socialize
- Become more fit
- Eat more healthy
- Attend a seminar
- Be kind
- Be environmental thoughtful
Compounding would give another approach. For example,
- Read for 10 min every day.
- Paint twice a week for 30 min.
- Write two pages every week.
- Check for tickets/ destinations and prices at least three months earlier.
- Meet my friends twice a month.
- Exercise 10 min 5 times a week.
- Make a balanced meal plan every week.
- Find a seminar in my field, and try to be consistent.
- Volunteer once a month/ make small donations.
- Recycle, and participate in a team with an environmental profile.
Think about it, and you will see that it fits your goals. You can turn your aims into small habits.
Then I create the right conditions to help me put the habits into practice. Examples,
- Have my book by my bed or couch.
- Have my painting tools in a spot that is easy for me to access.
- Keep my cell phone away from my bed or the living room.
- Keep track to check if I did what I wanted to do and to what extent
- I can put a few reminders on my cell phone or post-it notes
- Buy healthy food and not junk food from the grocery shop.
- Discuss my process with a friend.
- Attend a class and work within a group. (Gym, art class, seminar)
Finally, I have to see the whole picture. I must admit that I play a lot of roles every day. Some may include being a woman, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a parent, an employee, a cook, a cleaner, a gardener, etc.
So I should be kind to myself. And understand that it is not easy to meet my habits.
Specifically, I may not maintain my habits constantly. Then, I have to observe the personal needs of that period and the external conditions.
If I see that other needs have appeared either by choice or due to circumstances, I should consider reclassifying.
A constructive approach is a review and reorganization.
And then, to understand, I will have to reduce or temporarily cut down on some habits.
But it is good to understand that:
- If I want to have these habits in my life, I do not take them away for a long time
- Let some of them stay in my week, even in drops
- Do not judge me when I fail
- Ask for help when I need it
- To work in a team if I want to or if it helps me
- Allowing myself to rest
- Letting myself live off schedule sometimes
So I hope this year finds us with more habits that we love and more understanding of ourselves and the world!
