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Do you make new year resolutions? I used to. I did it because it was just what you did- right? Pick something you don’t like about yourself and want to change, make your resolution to change it. Then fail and either feel terrible about it, or just move on because it wasn’t really that important to begin with.
Does that sound about right?
I really can’t remember a year that I kept a resolution, and I know a lot of people who feel the same.
Even if you plan it out, somehow it doesn’t work out like expected.
Maybe it’s because we all have an underlying belief that resolutions never work, or we set ourselves up for failure by not really thinking through the plan of action. Maybe it’s because we pick resolutions based on what we think is wrong with us, and what we need to fix. Instead of using them to enhance our lives, we use them to pick ourselves apart. Good luck feeling motivated to do something after you have just convinced yourself that you are terrible at it.
Whatever the reason, resolutions often are not the best way to get things done in the new year.
Luckily, they seem to be on their way out. Especially among coaches, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and content creators.
So what is taking the place of the time-loved resolution?
I gave up resolutions years ago because they were arbitrary goals that didn’t align with me, my purpose or intention. Building a vision board around my word or phrase reminds me to better focus on my why, life vision, and why I chose specific goals for the year.
Leslie Boyd- Founder, Leslie Boyd Enterprises Inspire, Empower, Lead.
Vision boards. A word of the year. Clear and actionable goals.
More and more people are finding that these alternatives work better for them, and with good reason. All of these are long-term, most can cover more than just one behavior or area of life, and none of them are “succeed or fail.”
Succeed or fail doesn’t give room for mistakes.
If your resolution is to go to the gym every day or quit smoking or cut out meat everyday except Thursday, the first time you skip a day or bum a cigarette or eat a piece of chicken on a Friday, you are going to feel like you failed.
I don’t like resolutions because they are kind of black & white. Either you stick to them or you don’t. I just feel that having something to come back to like a “word” is a more positive way to look at life. We may stray from our focus word, but when we need a reminder, it’s there waiting for us to bring us back to the center again. If I stray from a resolution, I feel like I’ve “failed”.
Holly Isaacson- creator of The Radiance Mindset
When we tell ourselves we have failed, it can have a big impact on our esteem, which can sometimes send us into a type of failure spiral. Even more so, a lot of times we allow that to be the end of having to try. “Well, I skipped today, so I didn’t keep my resolution. Maybe next year!” That’s it, no more effort towards that goal.
Whereas when you have a clear and actionable goal, the outcome is what matters. Skipping one day doesn’t mean you have failed to reach the goal. The same is true for vision boards and having a word of the year.
While some of this may seem to be semantics, words and the feelings that go with them play a big role on our emotions, mental state, motivation and overall mindset.
We are in an era of empowerment and growth.
I believe this is a big reason that resolutions are no longer as popular in a lot of circles as they once were. With an increased focus on mindset and uplifting motivation, along with the ever-growing popularity of self-care and self-love, the negative impact of a “succeed or fail” resolution has no place.
Do you make a vision board or have a word of the year? Is your focus the last week of December or first week of January on setting intentional goals? How do you align for the new year? Leave a comment below, and follow OwlBeMe on Facebook to continue the conversation!
Want more information on Goal setting and having a Word of the year? Check out these articles:
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