How to Set Successful Resolutions for 2021
Pop the champagne and breathe a sigh of relief because 2020 is FINALLY over! We may have bid adieu to the best-worst year, but we’re about to welcome in a universally loathed tradition: New Year’s resolutions.
Don’t get me wrong, I love to see people move closer to joy, but New Year’s resolutions are typically rooted in the wrong reasons. Every January we get a myriad of marketing campaigns shoved down our throats urging us to take action to fix our shortcomings of the previous year.
Lose weight, save more money, curb your drinking, blah blah blah. Sure, all of these New Year’s resolutions seem like positive goals, but they mask the deeper issue.
When you get behind a resolution it’s easy to completely disregard what feelings you’re searching for inside of it. This is why people fail to make their hasty resolution a long-term solution.
Getting to the source of your emotional needs is essential in creating resolutions for 2021 that are sustainable and unique to you.
It is imperative to commit to things that you enjoy. The last thing you want is to have overwhelming feelings of regret and desperation while trying to form better habits. You want to feel good and come from a place of expansion.
Let’s dive into of few of the most popular New Year’s resolutions and uncover why they’re not all they’re cracked up to be.
Weight Loss
Is it really a new year without a constant stream of weight loss challenges, nutrition systems, and workout programs pushing too good to be true results? For real, sometimes I want to scream “THIS CRAP DOESN’T WORK!” right into my phone.
In my experience, I’ve noticed a common theme when people commit to losing weight as their New Year’s resolution: they want a different relationship with themselves and they think losing weight will be the end-all remedy.
They think a lower number on the scale will solve all their problems. If you’re like me and have lost a significant amount of weight in the past, you know this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
People who want to lose weight usually desire:
Confidence
More energy
A positive relationship with their body
While weight loss can certainly contribute to these feelings, without confronting the emotional aspect nothing will change. Cue the cycle of diet → fall off → feast → repeat.
Most importantly, weight loss isn’t sustainable because you can’t lose weight forever!
If Your Resolution Is Weight Loss:
Examine your “why”
What feelings do you associate with losing weight?
Honesty, what are you looking for your outcome to be?
Are your methods sustainable?
Will you enjoy it long-term?
Instead of Weight Loss Try:
Body positive affirmations
Complimenting your body
Avoiding negative self-talk
Set health-focused goals instead of weight loss goals
Regularly incorporating self-care into your routine
Doing something active you love
Save More Money
Saving money is an excellent habit to create! It’s another thing when people obsessively save money as a sort of survival response. You’ve probably seen your fair share of success stories of people saving copious amounts of money, paying off 7 figures of debt, buying their dream home, etc.
Your feelings prod you to want to do the same. Buttttt, you never seem to spend your money on these types of things, or anything for that matter.
Often when people want to save money they’re struggling with other battles like
Needing a sense of security
Having an unhealthy attachment to money
Or feel guilty spending money
If Your Resolution Is to Save More Money:
Explore why you want to save more money
Do you feel in control when you don’t spend?
Do you not want to spend as much because money gives you a sense of security?
Do you fear saving money?
Are you constricting yourself?
Instead of Compulsively Saving Money Try:
Treating yourself with something small
Surrounding yourself with friends and family (virtually works too)
Grounding yourself with meditation
Journaling
Making a freedom list
Getting out in nature
Dry January
Dry January may seem fine on the surface, but what are you really trying to accomplish? Gosh, I feel like I’m hosting Adam Ruins Everything.
My problem with dry January is that it disguises a much bigger problem. I’m talking about a spiritual crisis. People who reach for the bottle and bury their emotions as opposed to confronting them head-on is typically going through a spiritual crisis.
This doesn’t mean they are downing a bottle of whiskey every night. This could simply be their regular go-to 1-2 glasses of wine.
Dry January is unsustainable because it only lasts one month. What happens when February inevitably rolls around? The whole challenge seems a bit pointless for no long-term solutions.
If Your Resolution Is Dry January:
What feelings come up when you drink?
Honestly, what feelings or emotions are you trying to suppress?
Does drinking benefit you in the long run?
What would your life look like if you stopped drinking for longer than a month?
What are you looking to achieve with Dry January?
Instead of Dry January Try:
Reading a motivational book
Keeping a daily journal
Respect and observe your emotions
Meditate for clarity
Explore somewhere in nature
Learn something that expands your mind
Find a therapist
Get sweaty
Y’all definitely need more yoga in 2021. Come join me for a free week of yoga over at Splendid Yoga Online.