With 2022 now in full swing, it’s likely that you have either already given up on your New Year’s Resolutions, or feel like you haven’t lived up to them yet. Many who appear to be doing better with theirs than you are with your own are likely posting about their successes on social media, showing how they’ve managed to “glow up” already in the new year. While we’d all like to say we build people up and are happy for their successes 100% of the time, it is likely a lie. This doesn’t make you a bad person. It shows that you are a human, like anyone else.
This year, I attempted to keep my resolutions small. Some, like reading more books, have been easier than I thought. Others, such as journaling every day, have been less successful. When reassessing the goals I set for myself at midnight when I was lying in bed wide awake last Sunday (don’t judge me), I realized why I was able to be successful at reading more books while my journaling goal had fallen to the wayside. I didn’t build my expectations too high.
After joining Goodreads, I set my 2022 reading goal. Mostly so I could hold myself accountable, but also so that I could log each time I completed a book to give myself a small serotonin boost. For me, 22 books in 2022 seemed like an achievable goal. It was modest enough that I didn’t feel too much pressure, but also allowed me to read more if I felt like it. Since setting the goal, I’ve managed to read three books in January with the likelihood that I’ll also finish my fourth book before the end of the month.
If you want to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions, you need to create goals that don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you create goals that are too lofty, you may be put off by them due to the possibility that you might not achieve them.
Realizing this, I set my journaling goal to an entry every other day rather than every day. So far, it has been working. With a busy university and overall life schedule, this goal is easier for me to achieve. If you are stuck like I was, I encourage you to look over your resolutions again and be honest with yourself. It is easy to play the comparison game with others when setting your resolutions.
The best thing you can do for yourself when working towards achieving your resolutions is muting people on Instagram who are making you feel inferior, checking in with yourself on whether or not your goals are actually attainable and allowing yourself to be the imperfect human being that you are.
Easier said than done, I know.
We all have the potential to make 2022 a successful year. Even just completing one small resolution is a win. We all grow at a different pace, so don’t force yourself to be something you aren’t. Don’t set your standards too high!