New Year’s resolutions: you’ll hear the phrase nonstop in January, but funny how the hype for new beginnings dies down awfully fast. It’s no secret that New Year’s resolutions always sound great in theory, but then your passion to improve yourself slowly dies out until you finally forget what it was you even wanted to accomplish in the first place. Now the months are quickly slipping away, and before you know it, you’ll make that same promise to yourself in December to get your life back on track. Sound familiar?
Lately I’ve been inspired by an account on Twitter that I follow, @emoblackthot, which posts semi-regular check-ins asking how people are doing with achieving their New Year’s goals. The replies are full of people announcing new jobs, weight loss, and improved self-care techniques. It’s a great place of positivity, with complete strangers on the internet congratulating each other over their successes. While I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions (I’m very much the person that only tries to accomplish my goals in the first few weeks of January), I’ve been more conscious of what I want out of my life in 2019.
Personally, I’ve tried to strive toward two goals for myself: be fearless about making career moves, and enjoy the pleasure of my own company. When I see these little reminders to check-in with myself about my resolutions, I can really reflect on my actions and whether they are bringing me closer to my objectives. If your goals are similar to mine, I can now offer you two pieces of advice. First, always put yourself out there for new opportunities, even if you aren’t sure if you’re qualified. I’ve been more motivated than ever to apply for new positions and try for exciting internship openings, and I probably would’ve left things like that on the backburner if I weren’t holding myself accountable for making some changes in my life. Second, don’t be afraid of independence! Taking yourself on dates is fun, because who knows you better than yourself? We’re in a bustling city, and no one’s going to pay you any mind if you’re doing things by yourself. If this is something you’re working on, it’s always important to ask yourself if you’ve set aside some “me time” lately.
If you find it hard to hold yourself accountable, set some reminders for yourself, or try to make it a monthly goal to write down some of your progress toward your resolutions. If you can track your actions, it will keep you more motivated to stay on the path of self-improvement. Phone reminders can allow you to do a quick mental check-in with yourself, even if you aren’t writing anything down. Whatever you need to do, there are a bunch of ways to make sure you don’t forget about your New Year’s resolution.
In 2019, we’re achieving our goals and holding ourselves accountable.