Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: New Year's Resolutions

  • Should You Make New Year’s Resolutions?

    Should You Make New Year’s Resolutions?

    Do you believe that a new year brings a new you? Some people make New Year’s resolutions and set new goals for the new year. January 1st is a reminder to turn over a new leaf and to make a list of self-improvement goals. And for some ambitious people who like New Year’s resolutions, the first of January is a time to reflect on the past year and see how many of their resolutions from the past year were achieved.

    Now, if you’re one of those who cringes when you think of the resolutions that you abandoned in the first months or (gasp) the first month of the outgoing year, you’re pretty normal. According to the Pew Research Center, at the start of 2024, “Of the 70% of Americans who did not make any New Year’s resolutions this year, a majority (56%) say their main reason for not doing so is they simply do not like to make resolutions.”

    In the same survey, the Pew Research Center found that “Three-in-ten Americans report making at least one resolution this year, with half of this group making more than one.” The numbers aren’t high. 

    I used to make a list of ten New Year’s resolutions in January, and in December of that year, I was usually dismayed to find that perhaps only three of the ten items were completed and maybe an additional two were started and not finished. Perhaps I set the bar too high for myself. Or maybe I needed to review that list more often than twice a year. After a few years of making resolutions, I quit. They weren’t lists of resolutions. They were lists of dreams!

    If you can make New Year’s resolutions and accomplish them in twelve months, that’s amazing! I’ve found it more practical to make a weekly to-do list. Maybe it’s the same thing, but the terminology (“to-do”) certainly seems less intimidating. Stuff that you just have to do is more bite-sized than Resolutions that have a vow-taking status.

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  • How to Make New Year’s Resolutions You Will Keep

    How to Make New Year’s Resolutions You Will Keep

    Should you make New Year’s resolutions? A quick search on the internet revealed that only 8% will achieve their resolutions for the year. That statistic suggests that it may be easier not to make resolutions at all! However, by making one small change, you can make New Year’s resolutions that you will keep.

    I admit that I’ve made resolutions in the past and failed to achieve them. Over the years, I’ve alternated between making resolutions and deciding they are a hopeless cause. For 2021, I’ve decided to return to making a few New Year’s resolutions that I will achieve by year’s end. Here is my strategy for making this year a successful one for setting goals.

    Firstly, I’m going to make my list compact and realistic. I have a habit of making an ambitious list with 10 to 20 items, a smorgasbord of personal, professional, health, and financial goals. The list was more of a description of my ideal reality instead of what I really could accomplish. For example, writing a fiction novel was one of my resolutions for many years. But as the years progressed, time and time again, I got sidetracked with writing projects that immediately paid the bills.

    This year, I’ve chosen three main goals that are achievable. To check if my goals are achievable, I’ve made a list of questions for myself. For example, is my goal aligned with my career priorities? Is my goal aligned with my life priorities for 2021 (not any time five years into the future)? Have I made a step-by-step plan that I can easily follow from day to day and week to week? Goals are easier to complete if you break them down into smaller pieces.

    With only three main goals, it’s easier to track what I’ve done. Each week, I’ll check how much progress I made on my goal. I will reward myself for working on the goal, even if my progress is as small as baby steps. Sometimes we judge ourselves too harshly and we become discouraged if we don’t get as far as we like.

    Finally, have a clear end point in mind. “Writing a bunch of blogs” does not have a clear end goal, but “writing five blogs a week” is crystal clear. If I have been writing five blogs a week for twelve months, then at the end of 2021, I will have succeeded at my goal.

    Flexibility is important also. If I find writing five blogs a week is too overwhelming, then I’ll change or modify the goal to make it more achievable. For example, I’ll write five short blogs instead of long ones, or write only three long blog posts.

    Resolutions are achievable! Keep your resolutions simple and realistic and constantly track your progress.

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