The start of a new year is always a great time to reflect back on the previous 12 months and also to think about the upcoming year, what it may hold, what goals and plans you are going to make and any resolutions you are going to set.
I’m definitely a person who has set resolutions year after year – I think from about the age of 14, my resolution every single year was to ‘lose weight’ and not once did it ever work. I may have embarked on some crazy fad diet which lasted a week or two, I may even have bought some trainers and exercise clothes and headed out on a walk for a few days but nothing ever lasted.
When I look back now, my resolutions were always based on ‘what society expected of me’, ‘what I thought I should do’ or ‘what sounded good’ but were never actually based on a real and important reason that was for me and me alone. In fact, I don’t think any of the major changes I’ve made in my life have come about because of a New Year’s Resolution.
However, that doesn’t mean I have stopped making them. I actually love the start of a new year and creating a list of goals and plans is a key part of my New Year’s Day routine.
So this year, I sat down with my journal with my 2021 goals which I wrote on New Year’s Day last year with a nice cuppa and my current journal. The first thing I did was read through my goals for 2021 and see what progress I’d made, what I’d achieved, what was still important to me and what challenges I’d faced to get in the way of achieving things I’d planned on. I find it a really therapeutic session and I certainly don’t give myself a hard time if I didn’t achieve everything I’d listed or planned. That is one of my ongoing resolutions from about 10 years ago – to be kinder to myself and to talk to myself in the same way I’d speak to a good friend. I’d never say ‘gosh, you’re rubbish because you didn’t exercise 4 times a week for 52 weeks’ to anyone else, so why is it acceptable to speak to myself in that way? Instead, if I didn’t achieve a goal I’d set, I spend a bit of time reflecting on what may have got in the way but recognising that even small steps forward represent progress.
So this year, I saw someone post ’22 goals for 2022′ on Instagram and I quite like that framework so I spent a bit of time looking at various aspects of my life and what I’d love to focus on this year. I categorised different areas of my life (in no particular order of importance):
- Career
- Relationships
- Physical Health
- Mental Health
- Personal Development
- Life Admin
The key, for me, to making goals and to achieving them is to have plans in place as to what actual steps do I need to put in place to make them habits and how I can measure my progress. I’ve learned that just having a goal doesn’t work for me (otherwise I’d have lost weight 20 years earlier!) – I need specific steps in place, things to keep me accountable and very importantly, ways to make them enjoyable.
Here’s a few examples of actions I’ve already put in place to help me make some of my goals for the year ‘real’ and meaningful to me:
Mental Health and Personal Development
I want to read more in 2022 – both for pleasure and self development. I’m setting a small goal of one book a month which is definitely achievable. I want to spend more time away from my phone so I’ve put ‘How to break up with your phone’ by Catherine Price at the top of the list and I want to enjoy time to be creative so I started small and made myself a little bookmark to fill in to keep a log of the books I’ll read this year.
Physical Health
Exercise is something I do now enjoy but I know myself well enough to know that its something I can easily talk myself out of for the flimsiest of reasons (too tired, too busy, too cold, too wet etc) so by signing up for virtual running challenges each month, I have something to keep myself accountable to – plus I love receiving my shiny medals each month.
I’ve moved my hand weights into the kitchen, stuck some simple arm exercises on the fridge and have decided that I’ll do them twice a week before breakfast on days when I’m not going for a run.
Mental Health
I’ve subscribed to the CALM app for about 6 months now (its the only app I’ve ever paid for!) and its something I use every day. I follow a directed meditation every morning which has now become part of my morning routine and I use other features for reflection, gratitude and relaxation. I’ve built habits into my day to ensure that I find time for these things as I’ve found the benefits so rewarding and I definitely want to continue those through this year too.
Career
It’s going to be an exciting and busy year for me with the launch of my new business, Meal Plans Made Easy. Launching my own business was not one of my goals for 2021 and goes to show how things can completely change in a year. I can’t wait to learn loads more about nutrition, coaching, meal planning, diet and health and help others with their own goals and resolutions. I’ve set lots of goals around growing my business and improving my knowledge and I can’t wait for the year ahead.
Whether you set new year’s resolutions or use the start of a new year to re-evaluate, my main advice would be to really look at what habits you need to put in place to make your resolutions work. Small steps add up to big progress and the key thing is not to give up at the first hurdle. Your resolutions are your own business, you haven’t failed if you have a blip, its completely fine to just pick yourself up and go again!
Thanks Georgina great blog very interesting as I start a journal every year. Well since 2019 but I drift away from it after anything between 4 to 6 months !!
I know one of my goals for 2022 !!!!
Looking forward to trying the recipes. Xx
A real thought provoking blog Georgina at a time of year when many people are at the beginning of a new journey. I found it positive and inspiring. Thank you xxxxx
Thank you Luisa, glad you enjoyed reading it and found it interesting!