Realistic Resolutions: Your Guide to Achievable New Year Goals
It’s that time of year again, when we contemplate which realistic resolutions to set for the upcoming year, isn’t it?
As December arrives, and we begin preparing for the Christmas holidays while transitioning into the new year, the internet becomes inundated with advice on the things you “MUST” do to guarantee success in the coming year. You’ll come across suggestions like waking up at 7 am, committing to reading a specific number of self-improvement books, adopting a strict healthy diet, and committing to daily exercise. While these ideas may sound fantastic on paper, they often prove to be unrealistic resolutions, not just for the next year but for any year.
I’m penning this article because I’ve personally grappled with setting New Year’s resolutions that are genuinely attainable. Every year, I tell myself that I’ll focus on setting realistic resolutions. However, like many others, I often fall into the trap of striving for the perfect “New Year’s Resolutions” – a pursuit that ultimately brings disappointment and unnecessary pressure into my life.
I used to have (and maybe still have) a toxic relationship with work, especially with personal projects. For me, things tend to manifestate into either all or nothing. So here’s how my process worked: I planned to do a lot in a very short period of time, I made enormous lists of tasks and set unrealistic deadlines for them and got super excited and hipped. If I didn’t have time to do them all (spoiler alert: I usually don’t) I got disappointed and usually abandoned my goals for months to come. In a few words: I set myself for failure from the beginning.
If, like me, you find setting realistic resolutions to be a challenge, then you’ve come to the right article.
This is not your typical guide with “x steps to writing” your realistic resolutions, because there is a lot of bullshit (ops, I should say sorry, but neah) that is promoted around this subject. My intention here is to help you avoid this trap of needing to write the “ideally” New Year’s Resolutions which will make you FOR SURE succeed in life.
As I already said, if you relate to any of this, that means this article is for you. Even if you don’t write any resolutions (which is perfectly fine, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise), you can still take some insights from this article and apply them in other aspects of your life.
If you’ve been consistently telling yourself that the upcoming year will bring a “new you,” you’re absolutely correct. However, it’s not precisely what you might be envisioning. This coming year is the opportunity for you to enhance your relationship with your work, hobbies, and overarching goals. It’s the year in which you’ll learn to establish realistic resolutions and develop a sustainable approach for the years ahead.
Just to let you know… This post (probably) contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associates links, and I may receive a small commission when you click on the links. This is at no extra cost to you and allows me to keep running this website. How cool is that?! I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own.
Here is my step-by-step guide in setting realistic resolutions for 2024:
1. Take time to reflect before you set your realistic resolutions
Instead of grabbing your agenda and starting to note everything that you want to do in the following year, take some time alone and reflect on all the things that happened in 2021 or the last year. Reflect on all of your achievements and the changes that you went through. Don’t focus on the things you didn’t do or the fact that maybe you didn’t cross every task from your list.
If we make this small shift in our mind, you will see, the impact is huge. Because then we will get empowered to push forward and see lessons, not failures.
Believe me when I tell you that taking time to reflect is the first step in setting realistic resolutions.
How can you take time to reflect:
- Meditate: play your favorite playlist with relaxing music (or not, whatever suits you) and stay with your thoughts. There isn’t a right way to do this, just let them roam freely.
- Journal: if you are like me and enjoy writing things down, grab your favorite agenda, sit in a cozy spot with your drink of choice and start writing all the things that come to mind regarding the last year. Note down even the smallest things, because sometimes the things that seem insignificant have the most impact on us. For example, in the last year, I feel like my husband and I had more deep conversations which grew our connection. A good friend of mine is doing this and calls it “a love letter to yourself”. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable, it’s just you and your paper. Crying, laughing, whatever feels good for you in that moment is the right way to go.
As someone who’s a self-proclaimed agenda hoarder and has a deep appreciation for beautiful and unique ones, I simply couldn’t resist sharing my current favorite. I’m a huge fan of The Witcher, and this vintage agenda is an absolute gem. If you share my enthusiasm, you can take a closer look at it right here.
- Discuss with a friend or your life partner: this is a fulfilling activity because discussing with a loved one can bring a new perspective. Maybe that special one saw something that you didn’t see in yourself. Warning: things can get emotional, but don’t worry being vulnerable is part of the process.
2. Do a vision board instead of a strict “task” list
Lists and “to do’s” can be intimidating and limit our productive energy. If you don’t succeed in doing every task on your list, chances are you will be disappointed and pressure yourself to do more the next day and so on. This is how we get to burnout.
And believe me when I tell you, burnout isn’t something you want to experience. It can really bring you down mentally and physically. And it’s hard to put yourself back together, especially when it’s difficult to identify your burnout. Burnout isn’t an indicator of your hard work, so please don’t promote it as such. Burnout is toxic and is the opposite of quality work.
For me, making lists isn’t my first choice for setting realistic resolutions. I mean, lists can be great and useful when you go grocery shopping, or visit a new country, or packing your bags. But for realistic resolution isn’t the most authentic way (of fun).
Instead of doing a list, try to spend the last days of 2021 by creating a vision board. I find that vision or dream boards are fun to create and you can do it with a best friend or your life partner. There isn’t a right way to do it, you can use whatever you like: photos, text or/and quotes.
For example, if you want to travel in the following year or years, search for a photo with an airplane and put that on your board. Or print some specific landscapes from the countries you want to visit. If you want to work on a certain skill, find a representative picture or quote. For example, I plan to learn about social media and I can put on my vision board a photo with “Udemy” (because this is the platform I use for courses) or the logos of the platform I want to focus on, such as Pinterest, Instagram and Google analytics.
If you are looking for the best white board to pin your dreams on your vision board, then check out this one here.
You can build your vision board like a physical canvas and put it on your wall in a place where you can see it every day. But, if you prefer to do it digitally and not invest in a board, there are a lot of good and free apps on the market.
I find vision boards so empowering and amazing because you can visualize your goals and dreams and give your brain an incentive every day.
3. Be brutally honest with yourself when setting realistic resolutions
Let’s take some examples:
- If in the last few years you managed on average to read 2 books per month, what makes you think that in the next year, miraculously you are going to read 5 books every month?
- If you aren’t a morning person (Btw, I hate waking up too early … every cell in my body is irritated by the idea), why do you expect that starting from 1st January 2023 you are going to wake up at 5 am straight away?!
Do these examples sound like realistic resolutions to you? I bet not.
Side note: waking up at 5 am doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to automatically succeed in life. If you don’t like mornings, plan your day in your way. Humans need an average of 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
If you aren’t a morning person, trying to wake up at 5 am isn’t a realistic resolution.
I don’t know why or how this is happening, but when December hits we somehow lose all sense of reality and we idealize the new year as something out of a fantasy movie.
Don’t get me wrong, making plans and always evolving is a valuable thing and it’s something I will always pursue. That being said, evolving from one year to another doesn’t mean setting extreme goals. We should focus on our goals no matter if it is the beginning of a new year or June.
What should you take from this point:
- set goals that are realistic resolutions
- keep an open mind, be flexible and know that these initial plans are going to change in the next year several times;
- prepare to adapt to changes and adjust your life goals.
- don’t feel disappointed if starting with 1st of January you aren’t crossing every task on your list
4. Less is more is the key in setting realistic resolutions
You should have seen my New Year’s resolutions a few years back. OMG, how different was my mindset then. My agenda looked something like this: doing a fitness challenge every month, reading like 4 books per month (while I had a 9-5 job and other household responsibilities), doing tons of online courses, eating super healthy and so on.
Are you tired? Because I’m exhausted by only remembering this.
And all of this was scheduled to happen every single month. You may ask, what happened when in January I didn’t have time to do even half of what I had planned? Well, I would get super disappointed, feel like a failure and just give up.
In my head, these were very realistic resolutions. Don’t even bother asking why because, honestly, I know you can relate. After all, you wouldn’t be reading this if you couldn’t.
Planning fewer projects or goals is the right way to go, in my opinion. If you combine this point with the previous one (being brutally honest with yourself), you can design your key to success by writing realistic resolutions for real.
For example, if you want to exercise every single day for one month, don’t put anything else on your list for that specific month. I like to do a yoga challenge every January and this is my only focus for that month, no other crazy tasks. I discovered that in this way, the chances of achieving this goal are higher. Also, if I have time to do anything else, that’s a bonus.
5. Rest days are vital
Productive days sound ideal if you want to achieve your life goals. Or this is what all the productivity Gurus say… I heard this phrase multiple times “Being busy is a blessing” and it always made me feel like I don’t do enough, I’m not busy enough.
Maybe this will shock you, but: thinking like you should be productive all the time is a toxic mentality! Planning rest days and doing things without an obvious scope can be the most productive thing you could do. Rest days have such a positive impact on your life goals because it will boost our energy and clear our minds for more creative thoughts.
Absolutely, it’s crucial to include rest in your list of realistic resolutions. If you decide to create a vision board, consider incorporating images of activities you truly enjoy during your leisure time, such as watching Netflix, diving into a good book, spending time with friends, and more. Rest and relaxation are essential components of a well-rounded and fulfilling life.
6. Make it your own
There isn’t a right way to plan for your future. Write your realistic resolutions as you feel it’s right and works for you and adapt whenever you feel something isn’t right. Do as many lists as you like, break down your project into small tasks, build a vision board or don’t do any of this.
There shouldn’t be any pressure to have a specific and detailed plan. If you have a life goal and you are evolving in your way step by step it’s perfect. Maybe you want to focus on your career or maybe you want to increase your creative skills.
This is precisely what crafting realistic resolutions is all about – it’s about molding your life and chasing your dreams on your terms. There’s no need to be excessively strict or overly hard on yourself.
Listen, I understand that achieving goals often demands discipline and concerted effort towards our aspirations. However, this journey need not be painful; it should be enjoyable, exhilarating, and even a bit frightening, but in a positive way. If at any point, something doesn’t feel right along the way, take it as a sign that it might be time to adjust your plans and adapt your realistic resolutions, regardless of the time of year. We evolve, our circumstances and surroundings change, and it’s perfectly reasonable to adapt accordingly. It’s okay to let go of a goal you set for yourself this year. Embrace the freedom to dream about new things, be spontaneous, and explore different avenues.
In regards to your New Year’s resolutions (expectations) you are allowed to take days, weeks or months off from them, you are allowed to change the course of your actions and for sure you are allowed to start anew on a different life path. Don’t let society tell you how things should go and don’t fall into the trap that many life coaches or motivational Gurus are promoting. Maybe the only plan that you need for the following year is to continue to learn and evolve in any way possible.
Make it your own, write your realistic resolutions as many times during the year you want. Please remember, this is your life and you should always decide what you want to make with it.
7. Make writing realistic resolutions fun and exciting
No matter how you choose to do your New Year’s Resolutions, have fun. Maybe you choose to do it with a friend, your life partner, or by yourself in a cozy and relaxing place. Buy colorful stickers or a cute agenda, or print amazing photos for the vision board, pour a glass of wine or a creamy coffee, and have fun.
Here are some tips on how to write fun and realistic resolutions:
- Get Creative with Supplies: Start by purchasing colorful stickers and pens to make your resolution-setting process more enjoyable and visually appealing. Consider using seasonal or productivity-themed supplies like the ones you can find here
- Create a Vision Board: Instead of crafting a traditional to-do list, opt for a vision board. This board should include not only work- or learning-related goals but also fun activities that bring joy and excitement into your life.
- Include Enjoyable Habits and Challenges: Incorporate habits and fun challenges for yourself. For example, set a goal to do a certain number of enjoyable activities with your partner throughout the year.
- Track Your Travels: If you’re a travel enthusiast, plan your trips using push pin maps. These maps not only help you plan your adventures but also provide an exciting way to track your travels over time.
Imagine the satisfaction of looking at your map a year from now and counting how many pins you’ve added. You can even use different colored pins to mark each year’s trips and compare your travel adventures annually. If this idea intrigues you, consider exploring these magnificent wooden push pin maps. They offer a variety of maps with different color themes and styles, along with beautiful pins that can add a touch of style and interactivity to any room. If you’d like to delve deeper into the world of push pin maps, check out this informative article.
With these creative approaches, setting and achieving your realistic resolutions can be a fun and engaging process that adds excitement and joy to your life.
I really hope this article with realistic resolutions helps you in some way.
Thanks for reading and catch you next time!