Posted on:Jan 08 2021
Welcome to 2021!
How about a very short mad lib?
________! I’m so __________________!!
Have to say, flipping the calendar to January 2021 was like a let's-all-drag-each-other-across-the-finish-line moment. We made it. I'm very glad that's over.
Did your New Year's Eve include that ritual of making resolutions for the year ahead — you know, set a goal, make a plan, muster the stamina and resilience to follow through beyond the month of January?
I know, right? How do we do that again? New Year’s Eve 2019 feels like ancient history, and any resolutions likely flew out the window by March (if they even made it that far) when the world seriously tilted.
Or maybe the resolution ritual had you asking, “Um, why?”
Making resolutions and sticking to them is tough even during the best of times, so if you want to say “screw it” and take this year off, well, I doubt you’ll get much pushback.
Except from me. 😊
I’m here to encourage you to Stay. The. Course.
Because amidst all this ongoing uncertainty, goals are plans, they give us something to do, hopefully something to look forward to. And having some plans right now is precisely what we need to get through a dreary winter spent in some form of lockdown, to turn it into something more bearable, to stave off that Blurrrrsday feeling.
And to keep us connected to Hope.
The trick this year is in the kind of goals you choose to set for yourself. Careful thought and planning is always a thing with resolutions, but in 2021, they also require a hefty dose of being realistic, of aligning what we want to do with what’s actually possible in this Covid world.
Which means traveling and accepting more party invites should probably be backburnered until later this year.
That said, while the next six months might not be too clear, we do kind of know what the next two weeks are about. I'm thinking that working with shorter blocks of time might actually help us focus and stick to our resolutions, especially if we mark the occasion with a little celebratory positive reinforcement. 😉 Great potential upside - 2021 is the year we crush that all-too-common tendency to make overly ambitious or vague resolutions that all-too-quickly fall by the wayside!!
Given that we’re starting 2021 with varying amounts of stress and overwhelm - not great for making big changes, let alone even trying to make them - let’s set ourselves up for success, for some early wins that’ll boost confidence, by bringing on the mini goals and short time frame.
How about something as simple as taking a walk everyday for the next two weeks? I have yet to return from a walk in a worse mood than when I left. Even 15 minutes will do the trick. Let the voice of moderation reign: Make exercise necessary and fun; some is better than none; keep it up as you age.
How about eating one or two additional vegetables every day for the next two weeks? Carrots, celery, cucumbers, and peppers require next-to-no prep, easy peasy, hydrating too. Add a little more time and energy and roast your veggies. Soooo worth the effort and bonus points if you bring a meditative, calming intention to your chopping.
Easy matters. The easier the task, the better the odds we’ll keep it going when motivation inevitably flags.
Tip: Rather than frame your resolution as a “should,” which turns it into a chore, find your connection to your resolution. “Exercise is important to me” (rather than “I should exercise more”) makes it more about the process, your Why, which increases your willingness to do something hard. Makes it more enjoyable too.
You might be hesitant to make small resolutions like the two mentioned because, well, they seem so minor, so ineffective. It may feel like, “What’s the point? It’s not going to amount to anything.”
Well, actually it is. Good habits - like starting to save your pennies early - compound. If you write your resolution/habit down in a notebook, and truly focus on it and embody it and commit to it - and check off each day you stayed on course, 2 weeks at a time - it’ll eventually become part of who you are...which allows you to shift your attention to your next new, fresh habit with the confidence that you can truly make it happen. (Like drinking more water each day, picking up a(nother) new hobby, or reading an actual real-life book instead of doomscrolling.)
Before long, those ingrained small habits create the foundation to take on even bigger habits. What a great positively-compounding feedback loop to inhabit!
Another tip: Whatever you need for the resolution/habit, make it as visible as possible. Exercise? Put your walking shoes where you’ll see them. Eating more vegetables? Place that day’s veggies on your counter. Decorate your fridge with Took My Walk and Ate My Veggies sticky notes so you can tick off the days, woohoo.
Eminently do-able.
Accountability helps too. Tell a friend about your goals - maybe they’ll join you, cool, but what you want is someone to ask about your progress and help you stay committed. You can do the same for your friend. 😉
Personally, I think social connection should be on everyone’s list of resolutions, every year. It checks so many well-being boxes - it makes you feel good, it makes the other person feel good - and it’s always achievable (think phone call).
Alright 2021, this is my plan for you, two weeks at a time. Times twenty-six.
I’ll walkchopconnectdrinkH2O to that!
