It’s A New Year
It’s 2021, and we have survived quite the year. This new year is looking hopeful. There is a vaccine (more than one), and as long as we keep behaving as we should (distance ourselves and mask up), we should be able to see life change. I think we are all ready for some change, a bit of a renaissance and breathe new life into well, life.
So let’s all take a moment to breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe in new energy, breathe out the powerlessness that we have all felt in 2020. I have been toying with the idea of not making resolutions this year, mostly because we have all been through it. Even those of us who had a decent year are feeling exhausted, and a bit stressed. So do we really need to add the extra pressure of bettering ourselves when surviving is enough? The answer is yes. We do. Well, this girl does.
I have not always been a resolution maker and follower. For several years I subscribed to Chris Brogan’s 3 words project. The idea behind this is to assign 3 (actionable) words for your year. In his own words, this is what Chris has to say about what this project is about:
The My Three Words idea is simple. Choose 3 words (not 1, not 4) that will help guide your choices and actions day to day. Think of them as lighthouses. “Should I say yes to this project?” “Well, does this align with my three words?”
Last year, my three words were sparkle, practice, and untangle. And while I haven’t been sparkly this year, I think I managed to do quite well with my other two words. However, I have discovered that I feel better overall when I am working with more structure. And while Chris’ program has helped me approach life in broader terms, I feel the need to go back to working on specific goals this year. So I am going back to resolutions. But instead of the approach of past years, I am going to roll them out slowly. Each quarter, I will add a new focus (while hopefully maintaining my older ones).
So here is the rollout.
Winter
I like to ease into the new year by continuing the good habits I have made the previous year. This means that I will be continuing my mindfulness/meditation practice, which includes daily journaling and yoga. But there are some things that I need to find my way back to. The most important of these is to be compassionate. I am not sure when I stopped being the kind and compassionate person I used to be, but I will find her again. And after that, my winter resolutions will be thus:
- Tweak the health regime to include hiking on days when the sun is still up after I have finished work.
- Have a dedicated commitment to my savings goal. Also, get the money stuff organized for taxes, so I am not scrambling like always.
- Embrace minimalism fully by doing the 30 Day Minimalism Game. If you want to do this with me -leave a comment, and we can do it together.
- Put a dent into my DVR list. There are 300+ items on there, and I really should watch some of that stuff. Or maybe deleting some of those movies will count towards some decluttering items.
Spring
Like most people, I like to concentrate on my home and space during spring. I live for spring cleaning and fresh air. Since I plan to have a completely decluttered place by the time Spring arrives, cleaning should be much easier than usual. This gives me time to focus on the following:
- Learn to cook four new meals a month. Most of these are going to be brunch dishes, as I am fully obsessed with brunch.
- Make time for the activities that I love to do.
- Examine the relationships I have, and let go of those that don’t serve me any longer. Spend time cultivating healthier relationships.
Summer
Summer is the time of year when I revisit the goals I made at the beginning of the year and toss out what doesn’t work for me. I don’t ever let the guilt consume me. But if I decide that I enjoy sleeping in on Sundays more than cooking brunch, I will put that goal aside for next year. Or maybe adjust my savings (and diet) goals to incorporate going out for weekly brunches. However, I will be adding these to my year of resolutions:
- Making use of the extended daylight hours and spending as much time as I can in outdoor spaces.
- Read books that will help me grow and perhaps make me feel uncomfortable.
- Have a no-buy month. Where I will only purchase essentials, and keep standing appointments, and avoid unnecessary purchases.
Fall
Autumn is when I start getting really busy, or I notice that I am swamped. I will often suffer from burnout during this year, and I start getting anxious about the holidays and the approach of the end of the year. So my final series of resolutions will be about taking care of myself. If I managed to keep the mindfulness/yoga thing happening all year long, I have to find a way to incorporate this into my routine.
- Incorporate 5 meatless meals a week into my diet.
- Remember that happiness is a skill and that it requires practice.
- Support small businesses in my neighbourhood
It seems like a lot, but I only need to make small adjustments to what I am already doing for most of these. Making unrealistic resolutions will only hurt us. So rather than saying, “I will lose 25 pounds and become vegan by March 1st”, which is probably achievable – it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier on me (and not to mention my stomach) if I roll these things out slowly, with a great deal of mindfulness and intention.
Now that you know my plans – tell me yours (or your 3 words – I love hearing about what people choose and why).
HAPPY NEW YEAR!