Sophia Sinclair: Yes, you should make a New Year’s Resolution!
It’s a chance to take stock and see if you’re on the right path and to make any corrections you feel you need to make. It’s a good way to feel you’re making a fresh start.
School children get that fresh start every fall. Companies and organizations have their annual report. There’s nothing inherently unique about Jan. 1, of course. You could choose Aug. 9 if you wanted. But having a date when you evaluate what you’ve been doing and consider making some changes is a good idea.
Some married couples do the same thing on their wedding anniversary. And doesn’t everyone have at least a passing thought about how things are going when they have a birthday, particularly a milestone birthday?
So, the New Year’s resolution. Many people resolve year after year to lose weight. That’s not helpful. Maybe a better resolution would be to choose healthy ways to nourish and exercise your body.
Look beyond your body, though. What changes would you like to make socially? Professionally? Spiritually? Is there any other part of your life you’d like to think about and perhaps change in some way?
Here are some ideas I’m kicking around:
- Get up early every morning to write the novels! I’m not a good sleeper so I tend to have trouble getting up. It’s something I need to work on.
- Leave the house more. I work at home most days, and have a tendency to stay home for days at a time. I’m an introverted homebody, and that’s fine, but even taking a 20-minute walk around the neighborhood would be a good start.
- Have people over more often. My kitchen has been torn up for a do-it-yourself remodeling project for the better part of a year. In various phases, I’ve had the microwave in the dining room and the stove in the parlor. We removed and rebuilt a floor, re-wired two rooms and added a ceiling. I like to cook for guests, but it’s difficult to do when your “kitchen” is spread over several rooms and the actual kitchen has no floor. But as soon as the floor is done and the new cabinets are in place, I’m going to start having people over for brunch frequently. I really miss cooking big meals for friends.
- Walk more. I used to be very good about walking or biking instead of driving. I bought a house in a very walkable, established historic area. I have a grocery store, post office, pharmacy and various governmental offices adjacent to my neighborhood, which is one of the oldest parts of my city. It takes me about 10 minutes to walk to the closest grocery store, and it’s silly for me to drive there if I’m just getting a few items. It’s better for both me and the planet for me to walk instead of drive.
- Keep on top of household paperwork. I don’t know why it’s seemingly impossible for me to keep up with the household paperwork, but I need to do better.
Maybe you are already living a perfect life, but I’m not and I could come up with a very long list of things it would be worth my while to change. How about you?
Mary Beth Cooper: No, you should not make a New Year’s Resolution!
Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions.There are the typical ones: Break a bad habit, eat better, fall in love, maybe get in shape. Then there are the funny ones. One person reportedly vowed to dig deep to discover who narrates the Home Depot commercial. I giggled at that one.
My question is, why do we have to choose one day a year to vow to live a better life? Some say that 80 percent of us fail in our New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t know about you, but that would make me feel like crap.
Instead, I create resolutions every single day. Maybe it’s to get my Peloton ride in (my new favorite thing). Or, it might be to simply take time out to be grateful for all of the blessings in my life.
SMART Goals
I also set SMART goals on a regular basis. These are goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound. This allows me to plan and accomplish all of my goals. When a goal feels too lofty, I refine it and head toward it at a different angle.
Reinventing your life shouldn’t be limited to one day a year. It should happen every single day, and continue on an ongoing basis. This helps you to move toward your goals on a consistent basis.
Here are some ideas:
- Keep track of your daily, weekly and monthly goals in a planner. Reward yourself for progress. You can try something like Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner.
- Refine your goals regularly. If something isn’t working, change direction. There’s no shame in making change.
- Set those SMART goals I just told you about. These types of goals will set you up for success instead of failure. (Here’s a great explanation of SMART goals from The Tony Robbins Blog.)
Do you like to set a New Year’s Resolution, do you work on goals all year, or do you have a different approach? Tell us your thoughts!
Our model is M’Lisa Elgin (@greylady220).
The photographer is @jessicaphotography1792.
