Personally, I never really liked setting New Year’s resolutions, and even if I did make them, I know by the time the next year comes around I’ll remember all the goals I failed, or never even came close to finishing. Multiple people have suggested using SMART goals, standing for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, but I often lose motivation long before my goals are reached. I feel guilty about not putting in enough effort to reach them, but last year I learned a few methods that coincide with one another to help me have intentional goals without the pressure of extremely, set in stone traditional resolutions.
- Vision Board
-
Instead of overwhelming myself with things on a list that I know will end up being unattainable, I find cute images on Pinterest and create a board that I can filter through as I make my collage. Sometimes, this ends up replicating an actual list like tattoo inspiration, a plane for wanting to travel, a stack of concert tickets, and even a stack of books. All of these things are very general. I don’t have a specific plan for when I’m getting my tattoo, when I want to travel or where, what concert I want to go to, and what books I’m going to read, but they all serve as a reminder for the things I eventually want to do this year.
Once I’ve pinned to my heart’s content, I download images that I think are cute and match my aesthetic (this year is light blue), and I add everything onto Canva. I place the images around like a collage, then add quotes over top to make it appear layered, and make it my home screen on my computer.
- iPad and Phone Reset
-
Another habit I’ve found useful is doing a yearly reset on my iPad and phone. I use Widgetsmith to add images, quotes, calendars, or even the weather to spice up my home screen. I also change my wallpaper and do a sweep of any apps that I don’t use as much.
Besides the physical appearance of my phone or iPad set-up, I like to go through my email and delete things that I’ve already seen or unsubscribe from companies that I don’t typically look at. I also go through photos to make sure old screenshots and pictures aren’t taking up too much space.
- Cleaning
-
I like to think of January as my early spring cleaning because it’s the perfect time to go through all my clothes. Whether it’s items from the warmer or the colder months, seeing the pieces I didn’t wear throughout the year helps me declutter and reorganize my closet! With less items, I can keep finding new combinations for outfits that I hadn’t thought of before.
If you already have some New Year’s Resolutions, then maybe you could add these tactics to your list, and if you haven’t then I would definitely try taking the time to try these out!