Make 2021 Your Year: New Year’s Resolutions that ACTUALLY Work
By Sina Ammann
Hi everyone, A belated happy new year! I know the holidays can be challenging for many, especially now with COVID-19, but I sincerely hope you were able to at least take the time to practice self-care, and recharge! Now that we have successfully passed the year 2020, there is both hope and uncertainty as to what 2021 may bring. A new year also means for many: New Year's Resolutions! A start to the new year means change and fresh wishes, and like many of you, my fortune cookies have been eaten. Whilst the concept of resolutions are attractive, I want you to think about how many goals, plans, and resolutions you promised yourself at the start of every year, which have never made it to the end of the year, let alone a few months…You are not alone in this. I hope this guide will help you realistically achieve whatever goals you have, so here is a list!
Why do we give up on our resolutions?
They are too idealistic (they might be a great goal, but unachievable realistically).
We lose motivation (because of the idealistic goal, making us lose hope and motivation).
We delay the process because we have more ‘’important’’ things to focus on (in this case, it is vital to self-reflect if there are unconscious personal factors getting in the way of your goals).
WHAT TO DO:
1. Write down your goals. Right now.
2. Ask yourself ‘’why’’ you want to achieve these goals. Delving further into the ‘’why’’ aspect, will help your motivation in pursuing it. (Instead of: ‘’I want to get to this x weight’’ ask yourself if there is a different way to doing this. For example, writing down, ‘’I want to get healthier through eating cleaner, and doing more exercise’’ will actually lead you to the path of your goals. Otherwise, you might become disappointed if you don’t reach your specific goal immediately, and thus, lose motivation.
3. Ask yourself ‘’how’’ you will complete these goals. Pick a time each day to dedicate yourself to these goals. For me, I decided to drink water before bed, and right when I wake up, to start and end the day with a small accomplishment. The same goes for sport: at first, I decided to walk every day. I liked this so much, that I started increasing my goal to 10,000 steps. I enjoyed this so much, that I decided to also do a daily workout. It is a buildup of small accomplishments, and because of this, I dedicate a certain time-frame of my day towards this goal, as I know that I am doing this for the best version of myself. If you have time for Netflix, then everyone has 20 mins of their day to dedicate towards their goal.
4. Instead of making a resolution for an entire year, make smaller resolutions. These can be daily, or monthly. You will feel more compelled to complete them, rather than brushing them off because they are too big (‘’I will start next week’’). Let’s face it: at the end of a tiring and busy day (full of COVID-19 stressors), many of us simply lose motivation to keep up with our goals. However, I guarantee you that daily goals are possible. It is best to start off with a daily goal, and build your way up, so that by the end of the month you will have reached that goal over consistent time. Think about it: if you have completed your daily goal 7 times, then you will already have finished 1 week (7 days) of completing your goal! If you keep doing this, slowly your daily goal will have turned into a monthly goal, and perhaps even make it to the end of the year! The key is to start off with small goals - these will feel like large achievements. Once you notice how you actually ARE able to do small, daily goals, you will want to integrate them into your daily schedule: I promise you this.
5. Check off your to-do list. I used to think that this was just another method of completing tasks, but it turns out that after ticking off your daily to-do list of your daily goal, the neurotransmitter dopamine is released. Dopamine is responsible for the ‘’feel-good’’ feeling we get. That means that something as simple as ticking off a completed task, can make us feel better. That alone gives motivation to doing the task and completing your daily goal!! (I promise you that this is one of the most satisfying things).
6. Remember that it takes time. Reading this sentence, you might already lose motivation in starting your goal, realising that spending a lot of time on something, means also dedicating yourself to it, and perhaps losing out on other more ‘’important’’ things. However, just know that it is ok to be scared at starting something new, and that taking a risk might benefit in the long-run. Tell yourself that you will take the chance, and see how you feel in a certain period of time if it was a good decision to try your goal. Just know that your daily goals WILL show results if you power through. If you see the results, and are ready for a bigger challenge, you can then start asking yourself where you want to see yourself in 5 years. It might be scary to imagine the future, but remember that how you choose to start your day today, influences your tomorrow. Everyone starts off small, and we work our way up - no matter how long it takes.
Most importantly, whatever your resolutions are, they should not feel like a pain. You wrote them down for a reason, and there’s a reason why some of them have been on your ‘’list’’ for a few years now. You are doing this for yourself, so realise that you do have the potential to fulfill what you want! View resolutions as a positive method of self-improvement, not one of chores. 2020 was tough and made us realise how things can change in an instant. Be proud of yourself for handling 2020, and don’t feel guilty stepping into 2021. Get into a routine through making your resolutions achievable! Make 2021 your year, show them that the pandemic only has so much power over you. You are capable of so much more, than you think. Ultimately, you are the director of your own fate.
Start with a small daily achievement, and I promise you that it will grow, just like you as a person. I believe in you!
-Sina :)