Are You a "New Years Resolution or Bust"?

Look, I'll be honest: I don't really think New Year's Resolutions are the way to go if you want to grow as a person.

Do I think a person should go all willy-nilly for a year? No! Of course not! But I think that you are setting yourself up for failure if you look at January 1 as the day your life will change, that it'll get better.

January 1st is just a date. It's the same as April 10th, September 27th, or November 30th. There's nothing inherently profound about January 1st except that we're required to go buy a new calendar or planner if we want to be able to stay on top of the multitude of "Have To's" that arise throughout the year.

So, what exactly do I do if it's not establishing a NYR?

Well, since 2018, I have done this thing where I set a list of goals I'd like to achieve during the course of the year. It's part of the "Annual Trifecta" that Gretchen Rubin and her sister Liz Craft talk about on their podcast: Happier. As the name indicates, there are three parts to this that will help nearly everyone see more success in their ventures than a simple NYR.

The first one I want to talk about is "The List."

Ah. The list. It's kinda complicated to explain, but when you see what I'm talking about, it'll make more sense.

So. The List is a set of goals based on what year it is. Like this year was "23 for 2023." That means I had a list of 23 things I wanted to do in the year 2023.

The best part about The List is that you can customize it anyway you want to! You can use the number of the year within the goals (think: write 24 thank you cards this year). You can use one of the numbers or a compilation of the two. In 2023 I had that I wanted to read 230 books, gift 2-3 items/month, do 2 5K races (3.2 miles). That sort of thing.

You can break it up or down in any way you want. There are between 7 and 9 Essential Habits of Happiness.

***ESSENTIAL SEVEN

1. Eat and drink more healthfully

2. Exercise regularly

3. Save and spend wisely

4. Rest, relax, and enjoy

5. Stop procrastinating, make consistent progress

6. Simplify, clear, and organize

7. Engage more deeply—

*** VITAL NINE:

1. Energy: exercise and sleep

2. Productivity: focus, work, progress

3. Relationships: connect and deepen

4. Recharging: relax and rest

5. Order: clear and organize

6. Purpose: reflect, identify, engage

7. Mindful Consumption: eating, drinking, spending, scrolling

8. Mindful Investment: save, support, experience

9. Creativity: learn, practice, play

These are great guidelines to help you figure out what's important to you.

Now. I bet you're wondering what MY list looks like. Here ya go!

Let's break it down a bit.

First, I know you're wondering about the P.I.N.K. on the side. That's a throwback to my WOTY which I will explain in a later post. But just know that I've used the word PINK to break down my goals into 4 sections.

• P stands for Pride. I listed 6 items that would make me proud.

  • Complete 4 BODi (formerly Beachbody) programs. I have gotten away from working out consistently and I feel the difference. I am back to having aches and pains that I just don't have when I stay on track with nearly-daily workouts.

  • Run 2 5Ks. I have one race a year that I do, guaranteed. I want to push myself to find another local-ish one that I can do, maybe when it's not FREEZING out!

  • Walk 240 minutes per day. This is an example of using the year with in my goals. That's like 40 minutes a day, 6 days a week. 1 dog walk is 27 minutes so it's totally reasonable.

  • Publish 4 books. This is a big goal for me!

  • Newsletter subscriber reach 480 people. (Again, using a version of 24 since 24 * 2 = 48).

  • Monthly income to support 1 project. I've gone over the numbers between monthly expenses in formatting, styling, promoting, etc. I know what that number is for me for now.

• I stands for Intelligence. Things here will make me smarter in some way.

  • Attend for Seminars with Chaos & Spice, the writers group I'm a part of.

  • Read 6 Self-Awareness books. Topic isn't important, really.

  • Read 1 Finance book.

  • Practice Spanich 40 minutes/week. (This is the one I'm most worried about dropping the ball on! My need an accountability partner here.)

  • Find 1 online course to take.

  • 30 days of culture. This one is more vague than I would like, but I can narrow it down/define it better later on.

• N stands for Novelty. Things that are random and fun.

  • Find perfect "Daily Wear" jewelry. This will help a lot with decision fatigue first thing in the morning.

  • Attend Romance Author/Reader Meet Up. I already have my tickets for Wild & Windy in the City 2024!

  • 4 Cross stitch projects. I had a hyperfixation on this a few years back, so I already have several patterns.

  • Celebrate Sons/Daughters Day. I'm truly terrible on keeping up with minor holidays, but these are ones I can and should make more of an effort with.

  • Have blankets made with kids' baby clothes. I have everything in bins, just need to find someone to make them for me

  • New Lamp. I hate mine by my bed so it's time to get one that's better.

• K is for Kindness.

  • Send 6 notes of encouragement.

  • Donate 4-6 items/ month.

  • Promote 1 new project/month.

  • Donate plasma 2x month when possible. It is a way to help people that doesn't require much. But I have to be healthy to do it, so it's another way to focus on my health.

  • Do 4 random acts of kindness.

  • _____. The last one is blank. I did this on purpose. I want to be on the lookout for a way to be kind that I might not think of in simple terms.

So, that's my "24 for 2024" list. Maybe there's something on there that will jog you into action, be the reminder you need to do the things you want to do to achieve your goals.

There's another part to this list that often... and I mean OFTEN gets overlooked. And that would be, checking in with it fairly regularly. Most of us can't remember to get milk when we're out, let alone remember all year long a list of things we had wanted to make happen.

What do I do to combat this forgetfulness?

Well, my solution is super basic/easy. I print the list and put it in a picture frame that sits on my desk. The frame is a 2-photo hinged one, so on the other side, I put a family picture. It can be a funny one like the Halloween one I'll be using for 2024. This year (2023), I used one of the professional ones we had done for Christmas 2022. The only rule I have is that it has to include all four of my immediate family.

Here's the set-up.

See? Super Basic! But basic is sometimes all you need to get the job done.

Are you thinking of doing a "24 for 2024" List? Need ideas or help? I mean, I can definitely talk you through what works for me, but I honestly recommend going to Gretchen Rubin's website and searching for their previous lists. They'll have an episode later this month (Dec 2023) where they'll go over their lists for next year, but for now you can see what others are doing. Pull ideas from others.

Which one of mine hit hardest for you?