Eating healthy, quitting smoking, drinking less, being a better person, reading classics – these are typical New Year’s resolutions that for most people, last little more than a few well-intentioned days. Instead of making a generic, false promise that is immeasurable, try promising yourself that you will do something good for yourself, something that you can achieve. You can’t (unfortunately) just say ‘be a better person’ and have it magically happen.
Here is an example. When I finished university, I said I will teach English, I will volunteer, and I will work a ski season. Three measurable goals that could be achieved if I put my mind to it and three things that I was doing for myself in the hope of bettering myself and my enjoyment of life. Within two years, I had completed all three – however, completing them was not the goal – starting them and doing them was. Through my month of volunteering in Uganda, my year of teaching English in South Korea, and my six months of being a ski rep in France, I enjoyed what I did and I was happy with where I was in life. I knew I didn’t want to continue any of those roles forever, but they worked for me at that time.
This year I have made my own list of goals to achieve. They are not big, life changing goals that I cannot follow through on. They are ideas that I can start thinking about now and working towards immediately. I hope that each of them will lead to me being happier and more fulfilled in life. I hope the same for you.
Leave A Comment