It's that time of the year again.
Where you set your New Year resolutions and realise that they are simply a repetition of the previous year's resolutions. (Sorry, not sorry).
Forget about the New Year, New Me mantra if you're not planning to keep those resolutions.
In this article, we will look at 2 ways to set up your New Year's Resolutions and 3 steps that you can keep track of your progress throughout the year.
Set Up 1: List Down Your Resolutions (Habits vs Identity)
James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits once said, "The more pride you have in a particular aspect of your identity, the more motivated you will be to maintain the habits associated with it."
If you look closely, our New Year's Resolutions are compilations of what we want to change, in terms of our habits and eventually identity.
An example of a habit-based resolution: I wish to spend at least 15 minutes a day reading.
An example of an identity-based resolution: I hope to be more knowledgeable in the field of personal development.
Essentially, habits are what we do on a consistent basis to achieve our desired identity (who we are).
That's why we suggest that you develop a vision of the type of person you would like to see yourself in the next year.
What are the characteristics that you hope to develop, in terms of hobbies, skills or even mindset?
Having a clear view of transformation will help you to plan the right actions needed to achieve your goal.
Here are some prompts and suggestions for you to kickstart your New Year's Resolution brainstorming session:
- Identity (Transformation): Active reader---> Habit (Action): Read at least 5 pages a day
- Identity (Transformation): Better speaker---> Habit (Action): Practice freestyle speaking every day
- Identity (Transformation): Better writer--> Habit (Action): Take up online writing courses every month.
- Identity (Transformation): Become a volunteer ---> Habit (Action): Join an NGO and participate monthly
- Identity (Transformation): Become a swimmer --> Habit (Action): Enrol in weekly swimming lessons
A very important rule to remember when you are setting these resolutions is this: Do it because you truly want it and not because someone else is doing it.
For instance, if you want to be more active in sports, choose a sport that you are truly interested in and something that you are willing to put in your effort to make it work. Passion follows commitment.
Reflect on some of the benefits of learning a new sport and identify which one resonates the most with you. We guarantee that it will serve as a good reminder to persevere in the future when the going gets tough.
Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash
Set Up 2: Fit Them At A Micro and Macro Timeline
Let's be honest.
The reason why many of us are demotivated to move towards our New Year's Resolutions is because after we have failed once or twice, we decided to give them up altogether.
But what we fail to realise is that the New Year's Resolutions are not meant to be achieved overnight.
Some New Year's Resolutions can be achieved in weeks or months, depending on every individual's pace and availability.
That's why it is important to reframe and redirect your New Year's Resolutions at a micro and macro timeline.
List down what are the goals that you can/want to achieve within a short period of time and those that require longer time to commit.
Here are three parameters to help you sort out your New Year's Resolutions according to focus and priorities:
- Urgency: How soon does something matter?
- Importance: How much does something matter?
- Significance: How long does something matter?
This gives you a better perspective on what truly matters to you, and how you can carry out your New Year's Resolutions within different times of the year.
For instance, if one of your 2024 New Year's Resolutions is to sit and pass the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), then you'll have to start preparing ahead of the test date. This means you have to make sure you have mastered the basics of Korean reading, writing and overall listening comprehension. It is something that requires urgency because it has a fixed deadline.
On the other hand, if one of your 2024 New Year's Resolutions is to save at least RM20k to have a year-end family trip to Singapore, then you should put aside a certain amount every month for your holiday fund because it is an important event for your family.
Last but not least, for those of us who aspire to go on an exercise regimen to lose at least 3kg for our 2024 New Year's Resolutions, it is something that holds great significance because we want to be healthy and be productive to live our life to the fullest, regardless of our age.
It is not a one-off thing that we get to tick off once we lose weight but good health is something that we want to continue to have for the rest of our lives, which is possible through regular habits and a healthy mindset.
Check out these practical actions to lead a healthier and fitter life in 2024!
Step 1: Make Sure They Are As Specific & Simple As Possible
Now that we have reviewed the tips to set up your 2024 New Year's Resolutions, it is now time to look at the steps that can be taken to stick by them consistently.
The first step is to make sure they are specific and simple to start with.
Having vague New Year's Resolutions will discourage you from progressing further because of these two reasons.
When you set a New Year's Resolution, it is important to come out with feasible steps that you can take to begin and continue them until you achieve your desired goals.
For example, if you just set your New Year's Resolutions like this: "I want to learn painting." We guarantee you that you might forget about it a few weeks or months later.
After all, the scale of painting is so wide (with so many different types of painting) and there are no guidelines on how to begin.
Image by krakenimages.com on Freepik
Make it specific: I want to learn watercolour painting from a tutor for at least 6 months.
Make it specific and simple: I want to learn watercolour painting from an experienced online tutor for at least 6 months.
From there, you will know what to do, who to look for and the exact timeframe that you need to allocate to keep doing your New Year's Resolutions. Isn't that amazing?
Now let's use the above example and put into practical steps to take.
- First step: Look for an experienced online tutor who specialises in watercolour painting.
- Second step: Look for a reliable tutoring platform aka Superprof.
- Third step: Browse through tutors' profiles and review their basic information.
- Fourth step: Contact your desired tutor via their profile to discuss future lesson arrangements.
- Repeated steps for the next 6 months: Take online lessons with a Superprof tutor to master the basics of watercolour painting.
Having said that, Superprof offers passionate learners from all across the globe an enriching and interactive one-to-one lesson through physical home lessons and online lessons for different range of subjects including languages, arts and sports as well as academic subjects.
So, what are you waiting for?
Learn how to make beautiful handcrafts and discover the beauty of painting as a hobby with Superprof in 2024!
Step 2: Review The Ways To Measure Your Progress
One of the ways to stay motivated to acheive your New Year's Resolutions is to keep track of your progress — establish accountability.
Modern society has created an illusion of constantly measuring milestones and results. But what matters most in the long run, is to cultivate a sense of growth mindset and see how much you have progressed from day one.
Some of the ways that you can keep track of your progress is to document your journey (the good, the bad, the ugly) in a creative and authentic manner. You could write them down in a diary or journal or create a website as a record of the steps that you have taken to reach your desired goal for 2024.
Perhaps, you can do a timelapse video of you reading or volunteering at a NGO on a regular basis to make the whole execution part more intentional and fun.
Looking for meaningful New Year's Resolutions?
Explore these resolutions to make the planet a better place to live in.
Step 3: Rest, Refuel And Repeat Until It Becomes A Reality
We have covered the set ups and steps that you can take to make your New Year's Resolutions work.
There are chances that you might face several challenges and disappointments along the way. Sometimes unforeseen circumstances might take place, you may feel burnout and you may feel the pressure to always be on top of the game.
While you are putting in efforts to make things work, it is also essential to prioritise your mental well-being too!
Whenever you feel like you're hitting a roadblock, take some time to pause and reflect on how far you have come, especially in terms of your habits, emotional growth and mindsets.
Go out and drink a cup of your favourite coffee and connect with family and friends. Think of it as the recharge sessions for a full battery to continue moving forward.
Image by tirachardz on Freepik
Rest , refuel and repeat. You got this.
We hope you're inspired by this article to have a journey of growth in 2024.
“You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going. Babies don’t walk the first time they try, but eventually they get it right.” — Jack Canfield
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