Resolutions for those who don’t think they need them

Every year I write something about new year’s resolutions because as basic as they might be thinking extra hard about the path forward has really helped me out in the past. I have done the typical quit smoking and get fit resolutions in the past I have done more existential idea type resolutions too. More often than not they either work out or progress is made. When I fail at them I still learn something about that issue and myself so I’m still further ahead the next year. 

There is a whole group of people who dismiss the idea of resolutions and I find these people largely fall into two categories. One is the ‘type A’ people who already have all their balls in the air and are super busy and juggling them well. I think these sorts of people don’t want to bother with one more thing and they think that they are already doing it all. That’s fair but there’s a whole lot of ideas for just these sorts of people in here. The second group are people who don’t really want to put more effort in or might even have failed at the odd resolution or two in the past. Here’s a secret though there are so, so many resolutions that are energy neutral or even easier than what you’re doing now.

Why you should still resolve something no matter what

There isn’t a single person out there that’s absolutely prefect in every way. Almost all of us need to do more in one category and less in another. The busy could resolve to be less so and many others have dreams they have yet to accomplish. Resolutions can be about giving something up but they can also be changing the way we think. They also aren’t necessarily pass/fail either. There have been a few things that were pretty concrete that I wanted to change over the years. I tried everything, thought about it a lot all year long and after that I was just able to let it go. The fact that I tried and tried hard just made me accept something that used to bug me. Even if you ‘fail’ and you still very much want to change that aspect of your life still at the end of the year. If that’s the case then you have all of these strategies that you know won’t work for you going forward. To sum it up we could all do something big or small to make our lives better, easier, take better care of ourselves or be a better person and all a resolution is asking you to do it try.

What this post is all about

Today I’m not here to talk about the obvious stuff like quitting smoking, getting fit, embracing sobriety or losing weight. Those are all great resolutions and if you want to give them I try I say go for it, you might even find some help with those things here. Today I’ll be doing almost a resolution ‘gift guide’ where I suggest certain resolutions for different sorts of people because it’s a little more fun. But these are really just concepts to get your mind rolling. If you find something in the wrong category that you like then it applies to you too. So let’s get started!

For the very busy

• Get more sleep by sticking to a healthier sleep schedule
• Spend half an hour a day doing literally nothing
• Take a walk once a week
• Pick a time to stop responding for the night unless you’re an on call doctor
• Book time off for the things you like to do like exercise like it’s a client meeting. Hint: you can tell people that it really is a client meeting!

For those that need to get $hit done

• Make it a point to get those big anxiety provoking things done sooner and savor that relief sooner
• Make a loose schedule of your time or a daily list. Making a promise to yourself each day makes it more likely that you’ll get some of it done
• Set one priority for the day the week and the month that all support each other
• Make a list of the three things that give you the most stress and do something about them this year
• Keep a list of the things you accomplish too for more motivation

For those that need a personal assistant

• Find a way that should work to keep you organized. It could be an app, a list or my favorite a paper system
• As dorky as they are embrace spread sheets. The one in this post could be a great place to start
• A separate bank account (maybe at a separate bank) could be worth the fees for savings or separation of goals
• Get into repeat ordering online and grocery pick-us and deliveries
• We won’t call it a chore chart but get in the habit of doing certain things on the same day each week

For the self employed

• Track what you make and what you spend better than you did last year
• You know that one nightmare client, I give you permission to cut ties, it’s time
• Seriously look at and run the numbers on outsourcing one thing you can’t do everything on your own forever
• Spend an hour a month taking something up a notch, you already know what that needs to be
• If you’re tapped out start thinking about where and how some part time help would make the biggest difference

For everyone

• Spend some time thinking about your goals and what you want to accomplish this year
• If you’re looking to make one of those classic life changes give yourself the whole year. Make a plan one, two, three and so on to get there. It’s committing to just trying once that will probably let you down.
• Back up your data at least three times this year!
• Practice long term thinking most of the time. It helps you prepare for what’s coming and overlook the little stuff day to day
• Find a concrete way to separate work and family time, yes even when working from home
• Make time and some cash available for a hobby that makes you happy and fills your time
• Work harder on your most important relationships than you did last year
• Be nicer to strangers this year

Resolutions don’t have to be the classics we all think of and they should always extend well beyond January! Maybe an idea on here is perfect for you or maybe it just got you thinking. Whatever you choose give yourself the whole year to work on it. If you found you’ve lost steam by March then try again. Last year my resolution to drink more water was slow to start but by the summer I had to buy a second huge water bottle to bring with me each day. What are you resolving this year? Is it a classic resolution on more of an idea you need to explore? Leave it in the comments below!