By Pauline Villanueva
It’s that time of the year again. That time after a couple of months (or more—it is 2020, after all) of overindulgence when we decide to give ourselves a fresh start. It’s going to be a new year, which means a new us! We make all sorts of promises to ourselves about the things we’ll do: we’re going to eat healthier, we’re going to work out more, we’re going to spend less time on social media, and so on. In short, we’re going to become better versions of ourselves.
New Year’s in 2021 is going to look a little different than previous years. Given what we’ve gone through in 2020, New Year’s resolutions can be trickier than ever to manage. You might find yourself so eager to shed the nightmare of this past year that you end up making unrealistic resolutions for 2021. Conversely, you may be so tired and burned out that you wonder if there’s even a point to making any resolutions at all. Many of us will likely fall somewhere in between. Nevertheless, resolutions are always a challenge.
One way to overcome this is simply to change your words. The word “goal,” for example, seems to carry less inherent pressure than “resolution.” Resolutions tend to be broad and vague; goals are often more specific. For example, instead of saying, “I’m going to work out more,” set a goal to walk three times a week. Instead of resolving to spend less time on Facebook, make a plan to put your phone away 30 minutes before bed and not open it again until 30 minutes after you’ve woken up.
Another thing you can do is set goals you actually want to do. Not every goal has to be about becoming a better person. Let yourself have fun! Set one or two goals that encourage you to pick up a new hobby or revisit an old one. What have you always wanted to try? Carve out time for you, without any expectation or judgment.
Finally, give yourself permission to ignore the arbitrary clean slate of the new year. It’s okay if you miss your goals. It’s okay if you stop walking three times a week in February. It’s okay if you think you’re eating too much junk food by March. While New Year’s is a great excuse to start over, it’s not the only reason to do so. There’s no reason to give up just because you’ve had some lapses. Remind yourself that every day is a new opportunity to re-calibrate your goals. As this quote I saw the other day said, “It’s not starting over, it’s realignment.”
(Okay. I saw the quote on Facebook. I’m working on that goal of less social media.)