New Year, New You
By MK Thomson
January 5 2024
It’s that time again – the beginning of a new year and time for us all to reflect on the past 12 months and to look ahead at the next 12. Last year was another whirlwind year in just about every facet of life: social issues, politics, the economy, nature, the emergence of automation and AI, and ourselves. As we head into 2023 it’s important, of course, to take inventory of ourselves and our lives and to make meaningful changes for the better. But how can we do this? And is there anything that can help us along the way?
The good news is: that there are things and ways to help us make meaningful changes for this new year. It’s easy to look at all the things going on in the world and get bogged down in the negativity, but in the immortal words of Jim Morrison and The Doors, in this new year it’s “no time to wallow in the mire.”
While we could list the same old New Year’s resolutions everyone lists out each year – and true everyone should resolve to get healthier, quit smoking, and save more money – we’ve got some expanded ideas on how you can get the most out of 2024 and make it a (far?) more positive year. So let’s take a look at some New Year’s resolutions beyond the usual suspects!
While using the word “should” can always be tricky (kinda sounds like the person is saying “because I know better than you”), this is one time we will use it: Everyone should have this as their #1 New Year’s resolutions. Resolve to fulfill your resolutions. Decide to follow through with the promises you are making – and will always make – to yourself. If there is one key to fulfilling your goals, now and forever, it’s to be resolute with what you are going to do. This one is so important and so potentially powerful that you might want to sit on this one for a while. Give yourself some time – go on a walk or hike, or go to the gym or meditate – and really think about making 2024 a year of resolution and resolve. Also, try to avoid words like “want to” or “plan to” or “will do/be”. Be firmer and more decisive: “I decide to …” or “I resolve to …” or say it as if you are already fulfilling it: “I am …”. Words are powerful – so think them, speak them (even if to yourself), write them down and read them. Feel it with your heart and mind, with a huge smile on your face. Be excited about your #1 New Year’s resolution: resolve to resolve.
Going hand-in-hand with deciding to be resolute is to be realistic with yourself and your goals. When thinking of the new year and your goals for 2024, a good practice is to write everything down that you want to accomplish, do, and achieve. Everything. And be specific. Then categorize the list: which are most important? Which are most doable? Which will be the most fun? Which will be the most challenging? Which are more dreams or nice-to-haves? From this quick – and fun – analysis, decide on a realistic set of goals you will resolve to do in 2024. If the goals are easier, choose a few more (like 6). If the goals are a bit larger, choose fewer goals (like 3 or 4).
Then pare down your goals. Yes, you hear that correctly. Pare down your goals. If you want to save more money. First, decide exactly how much you want to save, then pare it down. If you want to set the goal of saving an extra $100 a month, make the goal $50. If you want to lose 40 pounds, make the goal of losing 20 pounds. If you want to start meditating 30 minutes a day, make the goal of meditating 15 minutes a day. You can always raise your goal, but lowering it or not making it then breaks your first resolution – not to mention not doing much about how you feel about yourself.
This doesn’t mean seeing the world through rose-colored glasses or mindlessly skipping through the day repeating mantra after mantra of positivity. It means to decide to be happy with where you are and who you are. There is plenty for us to be happy about:
We could write volumes on “happiness” – finding it, deciding on it, and why happiness is so important in our lives – however at the core is the decision to be happy in 2024. Even if you’re faking it till you make it, make the decision to be happy. Then refer back to resolution #1.
Decide to be more grateful this year. “Gratitude” is all the new buzzword in the self-help/self-love, living-a-better-life arena, but don’t brush this one off as a fad. Being grateful does so much more than make us appreciate things more. While this is arguably the biggest benefit of daily gratitude, being in a grateful state (all day or as much as possible) triggers so much more within and around us.
Leading with gratitude also helps keep us from overreacting to all the negativity around us. It’s easy to go down depressing rabbit holes with all the news in the world today, so starting your year with the resolution to live more gratefully will help keep you from taking that first step down the hole. It’s not to say that we shouldn’t pay attention to the world around us (though this isn’t a bad idea, really …) it’s to be in a state of conscious thankfulness. Follow this one up with being more empathic (feeling someone’s own pain from the heart) than sympathetic (acknowledging someone’s pain from your brain) and you’ll find that dealing with “all the things going on in the world today” is a much easier task.
In all likelihood, 2024 is going to be another crazy year – so decide now how you are going to approach it. Above all make the decision to follow through on your resolution and goals throughout the year. Be kind to others (even if you’re grinding your teeth while you do it!), live in a state of gratitude, find your joy, and as hard as it may seem sometimes, love yourself more.
