With the welcoming of a new year, we eagerly begin the process of goal setting, feeling motivated, and ready with resolutions to make this year a better year than the last. This is the time of year where we find ourselves going crazy at the clearance section in Target and getting the cutest stationary supplies we can find to officially make this new year “our year.” But more often than not, if you’re anything like me, you find yourself with the same usual goals you set each year which you eventually give up on by the third or fourth month.
So this year, I’ve decided to change things up and take my goals more seriously. I’m done with setting resolutions to lose weight or work out more, which I set these goals every week. Instead, I am choosing to be more intentional and set goals that will take me to the next level in all aspects of my life. Are you ready to do the same? If so, then you need to set these 3 resolutions for yourself in 2020.
1. Do More to Build a Life You Love
How exactly do you accomplish this goal? Simple, begin with visualizing what the best version of yourself looks like. “Who am I?”. “What d I love?”. “What do I want?”. These are questions you should ask yourself to build a foundation. Dig deep and think about the life you would love to wake up to one day. Reflect on these answers and write them down in your journal. This way you have a better chance at remaining consistent with your goal. On days where you might be feeling uninspired and unmotivated, go back to your journal and re-read about the life you are capable of creating. This will give you that push you need and serve as a reminder to keep working towards your goal. Not sure what to do next? Create a vision board! Vision boards are a great way to have a clear overview of what you love and a great way to be more intentional about creating your dream life. Begin by gathering around any magazines you have lying around your room that you haven’t opened in months and cut out any images that you feel inspired by. If magazines aren’t really your thing, head over to Pinterest and create a board full of quotes, graphics, color schemes, and pictures of things you love or evoke the life you’re visualizing of. Finally, collect all you have cut out or pinned and later print everything out to start on your vision board! Just one rule: be as creative as you can and have fun!
Source: Anthropologie
2. Let Go of One Bad Habit
A new, improved you means saying goodbye to old bad habits. Welcoming the arrival of new ways provokes growth to a better you. After all, bad habits only hold you back and keep you in a comfort zone. 2020 is your chance to step out and ditch those bad habits that are doing you no good. A current bad habit of mine and maybe even yours as well is using my phone at night. While checking your email or scrolling through social media before bed doesn’t sound like a bad idea at first, phone use at night results in harmful consequences. Studies indicate that consequences from night time phone usage range from damaging your eyesight, insomnia, and increasing the risk of cancer. However, using our phone at night remains a bad habit many of us can’t shake off. So how exactly do we ditch this bad habit? These 2 simple techniques are your go-to’s if this is your bad habit as well. The first technique: Do your research. Search up the consequences of your bad habit. By informing ourselves of the effects of our bad habits, we are more likely to realize how harmful they really are which will cause us to ditch them. The second technique: leave your phone out of your reach. Instead of using your phone, do something productive. Keep your phone out of your nightstand and leave it plugged in charging in the farthest power outlet from your bed. Instead of scrolling through social media as you would normally do: lay out your clothes for the next day, try to read a book or listen to an empowering podcast. Replace your bad habit with something productive and try to remain consistent. Before you know it, you’ll notice your bad habit is gone! Through both these techniques, we are able to make positive contributions to our well-being and life. It’s time to ditch phone usage at night and check up on emails and social media during the day-time. After all, sleep is vital to our well-being and limiting our phone usage will grant us a better night’s sleep. Our bodies will surely thank us for it.
3. Learn to Make Things Happen
Ever find yourself making excuses for something and then never getting it done? You’re either unsure of how to begin, find yourself procrastinating, are lacking confidence in yourself or simply waiting for the “right moment” to begin. If any of these sounds like you then this message is for you: “learn to make things happen.” Learn to abandon the inner critic in yourself and do the things your future self would be proud of. Remind yourself that the reasons to “go for it” are endless and that you are limitless. A better version of yourself requires you to learn to make things happen; excuses will only detour your self-growth and goals. And of course, how can you make 2020 your year if you’re still holding on to these excuses? Take a look at these ways to help you beat all these excuses. Unsure of how to begin? Break down items on your to-do list by state of priority. Break down each task into steps and be detailed about what to do for each one. Can’t stop procrastinating? Try different techniques to get you motivated and keep you inspired. Save this weekend to clean up your desk area and declutter it to create a clean, organized space that motivates you to start on that term paper you keep procrastinating on. Lacking confidence or stuck in a comfort zone? Try writing a letter to your future self about the life you wish to live one day and how you intend on getting there. Include your goals, steps to take action, and how all your hard work and persistence will be worth it in the end. The goal is to remind yourself why you started and to make things happen.
Source: Val Marlene Creative