The New Year is, tragically, known as a time to set goals and resolutions for the next 12 months. Waking up on the 1st, many people are overly motivated and inspired to change their lives, most likely after an evening of indulgent celebrations. We foolishly choose this time to get back to the gym, eat healthier, or try to find some other aspect in our lives that we believe needs tweaking as soon as the ball drops. But New Year’s resolutions often set us up for failure. Perhaps it is the fact that our bodies have been surviving on ‘Quality Street’ chocolates for a month and our brain is lacking nourishment, but our goals are typically well beyond our abilities.
2020 was a year full of change and to say that you didn’t accomplish your goals would be a disservice to all you did accomplish this year. A global pandemic has continued to terrorize the world so don’t fret if your goal of going out more or travelling the world wasn’t achieved – it’s probably for the best. With the many changes happening in the past year and now into 2021, it’s probably a little challenging to frame your goals for the year when you have no idea what the next day, week, or month will look like.
So I have decided to put together a list of long-term goals to help me stay motivated to grow but without the pressure of a 12-month deadline. Doing so yourself can help to change your behaviour and develop more beneficial habits with the intention of continuous progress. Think delayed gratification but you are doing it to yourself and not in a lab.
Here are a few of my long-term goals/resolutions for some 2021 inspiration!
- Run the NYC marathon before I turn 30!
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Having started running (as a workout, not away from my problems) just this fall, I have given myself 10 years to get up to the mammoth that is a 26.2 mile run. But this goal allows me to slowly improve my running with smaller goals each year. I can continue to further my distance and improve my times throughout the years, feeling accomplished as I reach new milestones while understanding that I am working at something larger.
Now all I need to do is figure out how to increase my chances in the lottery so I can actually run the race…
- Track what I read!
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As a self-identified book nerd, I wish I had a catalogue of everything I’ve read. Over the years titles and covers blend together and I forget what I have in my own library when browsing for new reads. My new goal is to write down the title, author, and time frame of when I have read a book as a way to track the media that I’ve read over the years.
- Be smarter financially!
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While I pride myself on being an honour roll student, I could not even begin to explain how a line of credit works. Which, at 21 years old, is extremely embarrassing. Gaining financial literacy skills is definitely a work in progress but I am hopeful that in coming years I learn how to better manage money and find different ways to save for long-term wants and needs.
I hope your 2021 is off to a great start. Whether you are preparing for classes, starting a new co-op position, or are one of my dedicated family members who hype up my articles – happy New Year to all!