New Year’s Resolutions
5 Things To Remember when Setting 2019 Goals
By Krystle J Bailey
2019 is upon us and goals are being thrown around like confetti. As you prepare for the upcoming year, there will be plenty of tools, resources, tips, and guidelines for achieving your goals. Use them! This is not one of those checklists. This is a New Year reminder of different sorts.
Here are 5 things to keep in mind as you set 2019 resolutions:
You’re already amazing. Whatever goal that you have for yourself will only enhance how great you already are. We live in a society of over achievers and more importantly, public achievement thanks to social media and instantaneous information streams. It seems as though everyone around us is always achieving something and it’s hard to keep up.
Keep in mind as you set your new goals for the year, that right here and now, you’re already great! Anything that you add is only an enhancement. You don’t have to fix anything, you’re not broken. You don’t have to undo anything. You simply have to create a world where you feel alive, healthy, and well. If effort is needed in a particular area of life in order for you to feel those things, then make the effort! But just remember that who you are today is already enough.
2. Set your own expectations. The new year brings an unspoken invitation to improve things in your world but how many of us instantaneously go to the same record on repeat every December 31st: I’m going to lose weight, make more money, and stop “insert your personal vice here.”
Whatever goal that it is you choose to set, ask yourself why. Why is this your resolution? Is this an expectation I have of myself or is this what I think I am supposed to do? Is this what I want for my life or what I think others expect me to do? There is no right answer to this resolution thing.
I’d also encourage you to think about the repercussions and how it relates to your happiness. If your goal is to lose weight, what diet will you choose? Will that diet make you miserable? If so, reevaluate the first point: create a world where you feel alive, healthy, and well.
Whatever you choose this January, just make sure that the goals and resolutions align with your priorities and expectations of yourself. Level up because you want to, not because others expect you to.
3. Stick to the plan and know that plans can change. The only constant in life is change. It’s easy to get discouraged when life changes and your goals suddenly feel like they fall to the wayside. Sticking to the plan in January is the easy part. When February and March roll around or it’s summer and maybe kids got sick, your marriage got a little messy or you changed jobs it’s a lot harder to stick to Plan A. That’s why your plan should have a plan.
When life changes, be willing to roll with it and adjust accordingly. If your goal was to workout 7 days a week and then you get a new job that requires more of you, allow yourself the grace and flexibility to rewrite the plan. Maybe 5 days per week is more feasible for you. Let that be okay. Your expectations are set by you and you alone. The only person you have to answer to is yourself. Again, does what you’re doing make you feel alive, healthy and well? If not, adjust accordingly. It all has to work together.
4. Judgement is poison. There is always a group of people every New Year that becomes a little judgemental towards the resolutioners. Don’t be that person. Some of you have been incredibly successful all year. Maybe you’ve been in the gym 365 days and you’re dreading the new comers January 2nd. You’re tired of hearing people say “new year, new me” and you have something to say about it. Can I encourage you not to? Can I encourage you, to encourage them?
Many people need the turning of a page, a fresh opportunity, a clean slate to readjust and set their sails going in a positive direction. Be the person who believes in them, not the one who doubts them. Be the person who paved the way this past year and can guide them as needed. Judgement is poison. We need not judge ourselves and we need not judge each other. Let’s work together to rise this year.
5. Be gentle with yourself. You’re a living, breathing, human. You’re a home to life. You’ve been through a lot of things in your life and you lived another year to tell your story. As you get ready to hit those 2019 goals, just remember to treat yourself with grace, gentleness, and kindness. There is nothing worth achieving if it sacrifices your peace and well being. Of course, work hard and push towards the goal but don’t forget to rest and nurture your mind, body, and spirit along the way. Nobody will protect your peace like you can. That’s entirely up to you.
Wishing you a healthy, happy, abundant 2019. Let’s make it beautiful!
Krystle J Bailey is a multimedia journalist, freelance writer, and self published author.
