Happy New Year! It’s 2022 or maybe 2020. Who knows. What is time? Anyway, we love a good calendar flip and tend to create goals and resolutions around it. Here’s a reminder of my New Year resolutions from 2021 and Katie’s resolutions. Just to be clear, I typically don’t accomplish all of my goals, but I enjoy making them! I even enjoy admitting defeat, so here are a plethora of 2022 New Year resolutions.
Like in previous years, I’ve started creating weekly and monthly goals. This year, I’m trying to floss every even day of the month, even though my dentist just told me last week that every day should be the goal. Seriously, who flosses every day? HOW? Anyway, each week, I’m also trying to go to at least two yoga classes at my local gym. In January, I made it to eleven classes, so I’m hopeful I blow this 2 per week goal outta the water.
I’m giving myself some grace on the monthly goals this year. Last year, I scheduled what I wanted to accomplish and when at the beginning of the year, but this time around, I have a list to work from and I can decide month by month. So far in January, I’ve completed a social media cleanse, and wow, what a great feeling! This February, I’m trying to wake up in the 7 am hour every day. Did I already make an, “It’s SUNDAY!” excuse and sleep until 8:30 am? Yes. Did I oversleep and wake up at the appalling hour of 9 am today, yes! But tomorrow is a new day and I can try my best for the remainder of the month.
I realized my monthly goals fall into three categories – reduction, addition, and health habits. Basically, I’m trying to break a bad habit, start a good habit, or remind myself of healthy occasional habits by giving myself a daily dose for the month.
I’m excited to post about these monthly habits and gather your words of wisdom and creative ideas. For starters – what are some Random Acts of Kindness I can plan? I have a running list of ideas, but I know I’ll need a bunch in order to follow through with a daily gesture. I’m also hoping I can really KonMari the sh!t out of my craft closet once Purge Month arrives!
Now the annual 2022 New Year resolutions. I’ve found that the most fun and fulfilling goals for me to accomplish have to do with outdoor recreation, so I’m really leaning into that this year. I mentioned yoga, I’m also trying to climb more regularly and though it’s not listed, I’ll continue with my mountain biking lessons and try to kick ass in that arena. I’m repeating my daily hikes and backpacking goals, same as last year, to ensure they’re accomplished again.
Another goal I’m abnormally excited about is tracking my monthly and annual spending. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’ve never done this in my entire life. I’ve always been fortunate enough to be able to balance my books and live within my means – even if it was *just* within my means and I had to scramble to find odd jobs to pay for something crucial like rent or something fun like a spur of the moment vacation. I always thought one had to predict their monthly budget before the spending took place. For some reason, it clicked this year that I can spend a year tracking my spending, and then I can predict and even alter that spending once I have this baseline info. Revolutionary, I know.
What am I leaving off of my list? Goals that don’t make me feel great whether they’re checked off or not… In the past, I’ve put a ton of chore-type goals on my list like “see a primary care physician” and guess what? I did that last year and I kinda hated it. Even though I checked it off the list, it was such a lame experience that it felt like I failed. So where I’d normally list a goal like “get Invisalign,” it’s not on the list even though it’s in motion. Wake up and get in line, bottom teeth!
These little observations are why I like making goals and checking in on progress. It’s so much more than crossing it off or admitting failure. It’s searching for motivators that keep you doing the things you enjoy or the activities that you think make you a better human being. It’s realizing when something is a task you just need to do. OR it forces you to realize some things you actually don’t need to do. That last five pounds you need to lose in order to feel perfect? Fuck it!
What 2022 New Year resolutions are you working on this year? Did you find any of mine to be surprising or inspiring? Do we share any common goals? Do you have any advice for my monthly missions? Let me know!