Setting new year’s resolutions sometimes sounds like escaping reality for a second, since some of us write down things without having an actionable plan to achieve them. New year, new me? How about doing these instead?
Let us change the narrative, instead of wasting your precious time setting new year’s resolutions that you will not even remember by mid-January, focus on what you can change and control as a person. There are several ways to live through the year with focus and end it victoriously without following the bandwagon of typical new year’s resolutions which look something like this:
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Get fitter
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Lose weight
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Get a new job
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Get married
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Travel more
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Take dancing classes
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Relocate
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Buy a car
The pressure is real! A look through the list above will show you that new year’s resolutions can be a bit unrealistic. Not that buying a car is unrealistic, but if you do not take into account what you need to do to increase your income so that you can afford a car, then you are wasting time. New year’s resolutions take no consideration of other future factors that might influence your decisions. Yet, at the end of the year, you will be trapped into thinking you are a failure without all these accomplishments.
Here are my 6 best alternatives to setting new year’s resolutions in 2023:
1. Be disciplined
If we are to look through a bunch of new year’s resolutions, I can bet that we could find someone who wants to be more disciplined this coming year. Discipline is key in everything we do; be it work, family, relationships, or personal businesses. What kills dreams most times is not the absence of knowledge, or finances but a lack of discipline.
This new year, stick to the plan. Exercise discipline at work so that you meet the deadlines from your boss and resist unhealthy eating habits so that you keep your weight manageable. Discipline at times looks like doing mundane things like waking up immediately after your alarm goes off. If you want a new raise this year, start with discipline in handling your responsibilities.
Read more: How to become more productive at work
2. Challenge yourself
Get out of your comfort zone and push beyond the limits. This might look like adjusting your working hours to meet set deadlines, waking up an hour early to either read, work out, or have a morning devotion. If you have not been able to achieve the goals you had set for the previous year, it might be because you chose comfort over growth. Let the new year be characterised by your willingness to break barriers and self-limitations.
3. Reflect on your past year
Do not be guilty when everyone around you is setting resolutions, it's the perfect time to reflect on your past year before you add more goals to your to-do list. Taking a stroll back through the previous months will do you more good than you imagine.
How has it been so far if you took on a promotion in the year? Are you catching up to the new role? That new course you enrolled for, is it relatable to what you are doing or hope to do in your career? Perhaps you moved to a different branch of the company, can you stay there for the coming year or would you instead change the workplace? Being clear about your decisions regarding the previous year will help you know what direction to take or what to improve on.
Also read: What you need to do before changing careers.
Important Tip: Reflections are an important part of your life if you want to move forward. Make it a habit to reflect on your day or month and by the time the year ends, you will see a change in how you take on decisions.
4. Reward yourself
Now that you have made it through the year successfully, you got that promotion you wanted, and you have acquired that new client, it's time to pop some champagne. If your laptop is the reason behind that delayed application, then it's time to get a new one.
It is easy for one to buy a new dress, but rewarding oneself in a way that enhances their career or professional journey is often underlooked. Stock up your home library with new books, invest in your home office by purchasing that coloured printer, and use your annual bonus to enrol in a professional course and the list goes on. Never be guilty about celebrating your small wins.
5. Set metrics for your goals
Resist going through the year without quantifiable or measurable targets. Increasing sales for your company is not enough, you need to be clear about the percentage by which you need to increase the sales. This way, it is easy to track performance. You can also say, “I want to lose 10kgs of weight by mid-year,” instead of, “I want to lose weight by end of the year.”
6. Be more intentional about your decisions
Do not say yes to a job offer just because you want the new year to come with a new job. Taking on an online master's program just because it is available is a waste of time and resources, applying for any kind of job because you are tired of your current boss is also a bad idea.
Make more informed decisions this new year, always carry out an analysis of your decision before making it final. For instance; What do I want to do with my salary, why do I want to do this with my salary? When will I do this with my salary? And how will I do it?
There is no harm in setting new year's resolutions, but if you consider taking on this approach, you might see better results by the time 2023 ends. Instead of new year new me, try new year - better me.
