New year resolutions?

 

 Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

So I wanted to write some reflections on 2022, but I got caught up with work and other stuff so I decided since I missed the timing, I might as well write something about the year ahead! It's always better to look forward rather than back. 

I'm not a super firm believer of new year resolutions, but I do admit that they keep one on track (especially if you have them written down somewhere visible!). I did do up some resolutions too but I guess what I've been doing for the past 2 years is to keep post-it notes on my laptop for 'long-term' goals. I update them regularly when I feel they don't apply (let's face it, so many things can change in the course of 1 year). The key idea here is that I see them frequently enough to keep me grounded towards my general direction. So far it's worked amazingly well for me! Just make sure to keep it rather simple and achievable; don't give yourself too much stress by targeting something that you know is very well impossible. And if you fail to achieve any of them at the end of the year, well, don't get too angry with yourself because you've probably accomplished a lot more that you might not have noticed.

The thing about new year resolutions is that many people set out with big ambitious goals but quickly lose that motivation. One my best friends once said that if you feel like doing anything, just do it straight away rather than wait till the new year. There's absolutely no reason why some things can only be done in the 'new year', which is just a completely man-made notion of time. This applies throughout the year: if you suddenly feel an urge to start learning yoga in June, look for a class that fits your schedule and start doing it! Pushing things later 'I'll start in the new year' is just a great excuse for procrastination. Of course, I'm not a massive advocate of insanely 'productive' lifestyles and I feel that giving yourself some personal space is one of the most important things for any human being. So please don't drive yourself crazy trying to do too many things at once. That being said, experiencing new stuff is something I believe that everyone should do as much as possible given the opportunities. 

Now you are probably wondering, what have I actually got to look forward to in 2023 then? I did write some 'resolutions' but they're only for my private viewing in my diary ;) Honestly, none is particularly ground-breaking. It's pretty much what I've already been working towards as part of my long-term goals on my post-it notes. I'm pretty happy with my regular introspection and building closer relationships with my friends and family. I would even go as far to say that 2022 was possily one of my best years because of my self-awareness and attempts to seek new experiences! I just aim to take 2023 slow and truly try to enjoy the present moment more. It's just really simple and I guess that represents my change in mindset in the past few years. 

That's all I have today, it's a really short and simple piece, but I hope that any reader don't get too caught up with creating an insane list of new year resolutions, and instead just stick with some 'long-term goals' that are more malleable. I'm hoping to get back into writing more once I finish up my assigments (too many) so you can look forward to that. Have a great 2023 everyone!