Statistics show that about 80% of people give up on their new year resolution by the end of January! And this is in a normal year!!!
In theory, New Year resolutions should help you bring about a positive change in your life. But in reality they only add more stress! With resolutions we usually have unreasonable expectations and demand too much of ourselves. They are a nagging reminder of our failure to do, or not do something and in the bargain we forget to enjoy the journey.
But with the uncertainty that coronavirus brought us in 2020, does it make sense to continue setting New Year resolutions? We are still in the middle of a pandemic so why start 2021 by making our lives even harder!
New Year resolutions are a way to address things in your life that you want to change; so instead of making it tedious and boring, let’s put a fun spin on things! For example, a friend of mine asked me to give her a hack to start waking up earlier. All I told her was that instead of making that her new year resolution, lets have a goal in 2021 that she “had to see the sunrise as often as possible!”
Instead of setting one big resolution that feels like an unachievable mountain, set small goals and create habits that help you grow and take you towards your dreams.
Here are some things to try in 2021 instead of new year resolutions
Try a 10-day challenge (or many 10 day challenges)
A 10 day challenge is a fun way to create a habit by setting a small goal for each day. Some ideas for 10-day challenges are –
· Wake up 20 minutes earlier everyday
· Exercise for 45 minutes daily
· Read for 15 minutes before going to sleep every night
· Drink 3 litres of water daily
· Keep a log of your expenses for a month
· Cut out caffeine from your diet post 5 pm
Create a Quarantine Bucket List
A bucket list is an exciting way to get yourself to do the things you have always wanted to do. Here are some ideas for a quarantine bucket list:
· Learn a new language
· Read 21 books in 2021
· Learn a new skill like knitting or calligraphy or video editing
· Write that book or start that podcast you always wanted to
Choose a word of the year or month
Think of what you really want to focus on and change or improve in the coming year and set that as the word of the year or moth; SELF CARE or FITNESS or CAREER or HAPPINESS… it can be anything. Write the word down, stick the paper somewhere you can see it and start working towards it. For example, if your word of the year is FITNESS, write down your goals in this area, what you can do to achieve them, set up a plan to do so and get going. And you can make use of the 10-day challenges to reach a new fitness goal each month.
Finally, the new year is just a new number in the calendar. You can turn the page and reset your life anytime, you don’t need to wait for a new year to do that.