So we’re just about a week into 2022, which means you’ve probably already come up with your New Year’s resolutions (if you partake), or you’re still actively thinking about them (or feeling pressured to come up with some if you haven’t already).
This year, I’m doing something a bit different. I find that, in my experience, resolutions tend to be too vague, or aren’t specific enough to be measurable. For example, the classic resolution to “eat healthier”. That could mean so many things. For some it could mean not ordering take-out, for another person it could mean eating more vegetables, or for some people it could mean eating less meat if that’s your definition of healthy. For some people the more general resolutions may be helpful, but for me it makes it hard to keep track of my goals and to feel like I’m actually achieving anything.
So, this year I decided to create a 2022 ‘checklist’. I created a checklist of specific actions or goals I want to achieve, which could be related to resolution-type goals I may have set for myself in the past. I think creating a checklist is a great way for myself to stay on track, and keep track of specifically what I’m trying to achieve or work towards. It’s also a great way to see the progress I’m making as I get to literally check things off the list as I accomplish each item.
For example, instead of creating a resolution to be more independent (because, depending on the mindset during that time period, that could mean running errands alone or it could mean going on a small trip alone), I added go see a movie alone and go to a new café alone to my checklist. I know that for me, these activities feel a bit out of my comfort zone to do alone, and I know that doing these specific activities will help me work towards and be more comfortable with my independence rather than always feeling the need to have someone join me in public outings. Plus, with a vague resolution like “become more independent”, if I’m not confident doing everything on my own by the end of the year, it might feel like I didn’t complete my resolution, even though I may have become more independent in a lot of ways throughout the year. Something like independence is a constant work in progress, so by completing specific tasks, I know I’m still making progress, and I’ll feel proud of my achievements.
I also think that, when making a checklist like this, it’s important to have a good mix of both short-term and long-term goals. If all your goals are short-term goals (like going to a movie alone), then you may end up checking everything off your list right away, and you may feel like you have nothing to work towards for the rest of the year. Although, if you find all your goals are short-term, you could try doing them a number of times. For example, go to the movies alone at least five times. Go to a café or restaurant alone once a month. Or – just come up with new goals after you’ve completed your checklist! Nothing says you have to wait until the new year to create new goals for yourself.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, if all the items on your checklist are long-term goals, you may feel like you’re not making any progress. Since they’ll all take a bit of time to achieve, you may get discouraged if halfway through the year you haven’t been able to check anything off your list. For example, one of my goals this year is to get my own house. This is a pretty lofty goal, and one that I definitely won’t be achieving in the early part of the year. If all of my goals were a similar loftiness, and were all going to take most of the year to achieve, then I could easily become discouraged at not having any ‘wins’ for most of the year. Plus, larger goals like that tend to take more time and energy (or money), so if your checklist is filled with long-term goals, you may find yourself getting burnt out early on and just wanting to quit. So make sure you have those shorter-term goals you can check off your list while you work towards your longer-term goals. It’s always good to have some small wins to keep up morale and boost your self-esteem!
So, what do you prefer? Are you a classic resolutions-type, or do you feel like a checklist for the year works better for you? Do you have any specific goals you want to work towards this year?
Until next time,
Nadine
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