Why do we make new resolutions at the beginning of every year? Is that a tradition? It feels like more, like something inside us wants us to make things better than last year, begin with a fresh start…
We see it all around, in our personal or professional lives, in surveys and annual reviews. But you won’t be surprised to learn that less than 10% of people making new resolutions achieve their goals.
How can we make lasting change in our lives?
How can we think outside the box and accomplish meaningful goals for ourselves and our community? Here are a few ideas to make a new year “fresh start” happen. And beyond our individual desires for the year, can we make real and ecological changes for ourselves and for others?
Of course, we cannot change everything at the same time.
The commitment that you make for yourself has to be attractive, intense and exciting.
I recommend focusing on one to three goals. And consider employing a “vision board” to keep it creative and tangible.
How would you determine what to include in your “vision board”?
Ask yourself the following questions:
What is important for you?
Do you have a clear vision of what you want to improve?
Do you have good and strong reasons to keep you motivated?
Do you have a plan to celebrate each little step along the way?
How can you prioritize your ambitions into do-able objectives for the new year?
Employ a few intentional questions to organize your plan for the new year:
Review : If you had to describe this past year in three words, what would they be?
What are you most grateful for?
What achievements are you most proud of? What is one change you could make to your lifestyle that would impact you most?
Self-Reflection Questions:
Ask yourself about your health, your relationships, about work effectiveness and self-care. Give yourself a check-up!
Lifestyle Questions:
After you have established a good base through self-reflection, broaden your scope with these lifestyle questions that address your impact on your community and environment.
• Which habits am I willing to change, cultivate or get rid of?
• What little things can I start doing to live an eco-responsible life?
• Are my decisions, dreams and endeavors ecological for myself and others?
• What would I like the impact on my community to be?
It’s all about slowing down for a moment and positively reflecting on what happened this past year and what we want to do in this coming year.
From love and relationships, to health, work and travel dreams, the beginning of a new year is the opportunity to reevaluate and re-map, and create a “vision” for certain parts of our lives and bring more intention and purpose to them. I wish you all the best for this NEW YEAR!
“This story was first published in Issaquah Highlands’ Connections news, December 2019”
Hi, I am Aline.
Cardboard Designer & Eco-lifestyle Coach
Creative and eco-minded French-native mom of 3, you can find me sipping a cup of tea, eating French pastries, hiking around with my border collie, designing a new piece of art or advocating for a greener lifestyle. Everywhere I go, I always have some dust of joy and creativity in my back pocket.