It’s that time of year again. Time to make the dreaded New Year’s resolutions you never stick to. Although you always think each year is going to be the time you finally fulfil them and that’s never the case, 2021 is going to be the exception. After the shambles that was 2020, it’s important you make time for your goals and put yourself first.
The first hurdle many people fall at is being unrealistic. It’s better to exceed your resolutions and set new ones throughout the year than to fall short of what you initially set yourself. Even though I’m an advocate of the idea that anything is possible, some goals are unattainable in a year and might be better suited as long term ambitions. Don’t confine yourself to things you want to achieve in a year, why not write down your aspirations for two, five or even ten years time too? It’s true when they say your dreams are more likely to come true if you write them down — once you start doing it you won’t look back.
It’s also just as important not to set yourself too many things to achieve. Without a doubt, it’s better to work really hard towards one goal than halfheartedly towards five. You’ll get greater satisfaction from doing one thing really well than being half way to a handful. It’s likely there will only be a couple of ambitions which truly mean something to you, so try to opt for those. If you’re anything like me, the best thing to do is set yourself one or two resolutions which require you to work for them and the rest are habits you’d like to amend.
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t do in 2021, it’s set the same resolution you do every single year — I’m looking at those who set themselves the goal of losing weight. 2020 was an extremely difficult year for us all and if the only thing you achieved was survival, I want you to be proud of yourself. If you’ve gained weight over the past year, the last thing you should do is beat yourself up about it. Your body has helped support you through a global pandemic and if that’s meant you’ve gained a couple of pounds here and there, so be it. Stray away from losing weight and switch up your most important goal. Make it something you’ll look forward to and that’ll ensure the next year is one to remember (for the good reasons).
Endeavour to get better at a new hobby; make your first career move; become friends with someone you’ve admired for a long time. Whatever you chose to do, it shouldn’t be something you’ll beat yourself up for if you haven’t completed it in a years time. You might not have accomplished the New Year’s resolutions you wrote down this time last year, but that’s okay. I urge you to sit down and make a list of things you achieved in 2020 and I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Katie Wheatley
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