It’s that time of year again. Not the time when you’ve got to pick some New Year’s resolutions. I mean the time when you’ve (probably) forgotten them! The year is more than half-complete and your resolutions are a hazy dream if you’re anything like me. But let’s say you take your resolutions seriously but are just forgetful. In spirit of generosity I’ve compiled a list of things that can help you keep your New Year’s resolutions!
1. Make achievable goals
“One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks."
– Jack Penn
Firstly, you need to make goals that you can achieve. What is achievable may be subjective. There are goals you could reach but are challenging which are the ideal goals to strive for. Then you have goals that are unlikely to be achievable. For example, if you never run, and have health issues then making a goal of running a marathon may be unreasonable for you, and you should consult a doctor to find out whether this would be suitable for you. Perhaps a 10 or 5 kilometre run would be a better option. This is still a great achievement!
On the other hand, if you run a bit but have never run a marathon, this could be an ideal goal. The main point is that you need to pick a goal you know you can achieve by the end of the year!
2. Choose a resolution you can do with friends
"Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you; spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life."
-Amy Poehler
You should choose a resolution that you can do with friends. If your resolution is to be a faster runner, join a running club. If it is to pick up a hobby like chess or badminton, look online for local groups in your area and then go and make an effort to befriend people there. If you're nervous about starting a new hobby with new people, consider asking someone you know to join you.
However, of course some resolutions such as saving money, for example, might seem harder to do with others. But you could go thrift shopping with friends or family, or meet people online in forums with similar interests to discuss ideas! So this advice could be easy or challenging depending on whether you have friends who have similar hobbies and what your resolutions are, but meeting new people is always good as far as learning new skills goes.
3. Keep a journal
“When my journal appears, many statues must come down.”
-Arthur Wellesley
Keep a diary or Journal. Why not buy a small book specifically for this and put a label on the front to remind you it is your resolutions book? This way you can keep track of how far you have progressed through the year and see if you are meeting your milestones. Alternatively you could fit your goals into a book you already have. Another idea is to keep a record on your computer using a desktop calendar or app like Microsoft Word. Make sure to cross off the objectives you meet and make sure you are completing them in a timely manner so that you can meet your set goals by the end of the year.
This doesn't just have to be a box-ticking exercise to ensure you stay on time, but could be an opportunity to create a collection of your expereinces you could reflect on for many years to come, and one day could bring back great memories! Write down your experiences; the good the bad and the ugly! Make notes on how you felt, who you met and where you went. Even if you don't have expereince with journal writing there is no reason you can't start now. You don't have to be a master of prose. Just write what comes into your head and make sure it relates to your resolutions. A structured journal could also help with my next piece of advice.
4. Reward yourself through the year
“Celebrate even the smallest wins. You deserve to reward yourself when you meet your goals.”
-unknown author
Use your journal to set goals and when you reach them reward yourself! Let’s say your goal is to have published a certain number of academic papers in the year. When you’ve done an allocated number, do something you enjoy as a mark of accomplishment and a reminder of the fruits of your labour! Once you’ve written your 12 papers (and marked this as a milestone in your journal if you choose to get one) then go to the cinema to see that movie you want to see and organise your schedule so you can do it on the day of completion of your milestone, or the day after. What you want to set as a reward is entriely up to you.
5. Have fun
"Do anything, but let it produce joy"
-Walt Whitman
Having fun is so important. It doesn’t mean the resolution you pick has to be easy. But like being realistic, it has to be enjoyable in some way. What do I mean by being ‘fun’? I mean what you are doing has to have an element to it that compels you to continue. It has to make you feel like you are not doing a chore, but rather that you wish you weren't anywhere else. Picking up waste as a part of community service isn’t fun to most of us.
But you can do community service that is fun. If you like working with children you can do that instead! If you like looking after animals then volunteer with animals, and if your resolution is to get fitter then make sure you are listening to your favourite music every time you go running or to the gym. The point is you are having a good time. This will make your tasks doable more than anything else.
If like me, you struggle with organisation and keeping track of goals, hopefully this brief article will give you some ideas and inspiration.
By James Kelly
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