I love goal setting, so it might surprise you that I roll my eyes around all the broo-ha-ha around New Year’s resolutions.
Do you know what the most popular resolutions are?
- Eat healthier
- Exercise more
- Lose weight
- Save more and spend less
And do you know who makes these resolutions? People who look at their lives, see all the things they are doing wrong, and vow to do a complete 180 in the next year.
Let’s get real for a second. I’m pretty sure the majority of women do not need to spend one more second thinking about what we do wrong. We are over-thinkers, and we are often harder on ourselves than anyone else, always seeing our failures and shortcomings and missing our wins and gifts.
So, I’m going to invite you to look at your plans and goals a little differently. I am all about setting goals, after all “if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time,” but let’s set goals without beating ourselves up along the way.
8 Questions to Ask Before Setting New Year’s Resolutions
1. What did you enjoy doing this year?
Go back through your planner or photos of the year, and think about things you did that you really enjoyed. Going to the Pinners Conference is always one of the highlights of my year. I enjoyed exploring new places this summer, like the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. So, I should consider a goal about traveling to new places and pursuing hobbies around the things I love most about the Pinners Conference.
2. What made you proud of yourself this year?
One of the things I am proudest of this year is working hard on myself. I did some counseling, took two courses, and read books around personal issues like anxiety, control, and identity. I found a lot of freedom this year because I decided to dig deep and get to the root of some of my hang-ups. I made so much progress this year that I’m going to continue pursuing working through some of my weaknesses next year.
3. What are you doing well?
When you think about the areas of faith, health, finances, work, relationships, hobbies, etc., what are you doing well? This year, I started doing some things very consistently: reading my Bible, exercising, and blogging. And, my husband and I have probably gone on more dates this year than we have since having kids. Because of that, I have grown in those areas. So maybe I should set a few goals around being consistent at something in those other areas.
4. How do you want to feel one year from now?
I put a lot of pressure on myself to be good at everything and do all the things. A year from now, I would like to feel busy but not rushed, and able to fully appreciate the present moment I am in. So, one of the things I want to work on next year is mindfulness and reducing multi-tasking.
5. What do you want to add to your life?
Two things I want to add to my life in the next year is fun and spontaneity. I love my to-do list and my planner, so it is hard for me to scrap my plans for the day and do something else. That is something I want to change in the coming year and make time for fun.
6. What do you want to subtract from your life?
It is easy for me to get caught thinking about things in the past and in the future, but I spend little time thinking about the here and now. That is something I would like to subtract in the next year and be more intentional about enjoying the present. A goal for something like this would be to memorize a Bible verse, create a mantra or recite an affirmation that reminds me to focus on today.
7. What do you want to focus on in the upcoming year?
I want to focus on my priorities. I can say that faith, family and relationships are most important to me, but my day-to-day usually doesn’t look like that. I want to make sure these get more attention next year. One of the goals I’m considering setting for this is to incorporate a couple of new habits into my daily routine that ensures I focus on these priorities.
8. What would you like to knock off the bucket list this year?
Your bucket list is your bucket list, and mine contains everything from skydiving to running the Tulip Festival 5k. Is there something you can check off your bucket list this year? And, if you don’t have a bucket list, make one. It’s never too late to dream about things you would like to see and do. Create a list on your phone or a Pinterest board. Dream big and then get going.
I shared a lot of my thoughts and feelings in this post, not to make it all about me, but to hopefully get your brain turning about how you would answer these questions.
The point of setting New Year’s resolutions this way is that you focus on what you are doing well and what you want to do more of instead of what you are doing wrong. Starting the year out with a positive mindset gives you a leg up on your new goals and habits.
Tom Ziglar says, “The fastest way to success is to replace bad habits with good habits,” and I would extend that to replacing bad attitudes with good attitudes and replacing bad thought patterns with good thought patterns. Focusing on the good will get you so much farther.
And, if you don’t already have a morning routine, consider making that one of your New Year’s resolutions. I can help you create a rhythm that is perfect for you. Just check out my FREE 5-day audio course, Design Your Own Morning Routine.
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