New Year's Resolutions

Resolve to resolve to do something

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again.  The beginning.  A fresh start.  Slough off the remnants of last year and plot a new course.

A tradition that goes hand in hand with the big ball drop is resolving to do something new or better in the upcoming year.  Personally, I love NY Resolutions.  Big fan.  Part of it is because I’m always pondering my life and how to get the most out of it.  Part of it is because I like to get creative with NYRs.   

The first time I realized that NYRs didn’t have to be just “eat healthier and exercise” was when someone unironically told me that they resolved to drink more milk.  That was my early 20’s.  Since then, I’ve tried a range of NYRs to keep things interesting.

There are many schools of thought on how to make the perfect NYR(s).  Usually, you make them something achievable, kind of concrete, and something that you want to do.  You can pick one or two resolutions or you can swing the other way and choose twenty (I’m not kidding).  Suffice it to say, the one or two will be focused, and the twenty are going to be a bit more scattershot and less intense, unless you’re a maniac.  

In 2022, I took the latter strategy and made eleven resolutions.  They ranged from brush twice and floss once daily to finally go on my ten-year anniversary trip with Milady, which had been postponed due to some global pandemic.  When I only achieved four of the 2022 resolutions, 2023 became “do the other seven resolutions.”  

Another Benefit of Resolutions

OK, Nick.  Is this just another article telling me to make NYRs?

No, I won’t do that to you.  And honestly, I’m not trying to oversell NYRs.  They’re more fun than anything, especially if you want to go wild with them, like the milk thing.  I know plenty of people who aren’t into NYRs and they get by just fine.  Pretty much all of us want to eat better, exercise (more), and do the things that lead us to healthier, happier lives.

However, there is an overlooked benefit of NYRs, and that is the Check-in. 

The Check-in is exactly what it sounds like: it’s taking a moment to think about yourself and your life, and see how things are going.  It can be as simple as asking, “Self, how are you doing?”  If the answer is anything short of “I’m doing spectacular, Self.  Thank you for asking,” it may be worth exploring.  Is there any way you’d like the new year to be different?  If so, what would that look like?  Is it something you can impact or control?  Questions like that. 

Sure, it can also be much more involved.  You can really reflect on the past year or where you currently stand.  Dig deeper.  Ask harder questions beyond “how ya doin.”  There are even guides and questionnaires to help navigate this deeper exploration if you want a structured approach.   

The Check-in can be the first step on a journey or a signpost along the way.  It’s a chance to pause and look up as you walk along life’s road.  And one nice aspect is that it isn’t restricted to January 1.  You can check in any time during the year.  January 1 just serves as a nice point as it marks the beginning of the year.  But your birthday or a trip also make natural times for a check-in.   Really, you can do any time.

What’s in Store for 24?

I’m going back to a more modest set of NYRs this year.  No more eleven resolutions that are all over the board, although I still need to brush twice and floss once daily.  When I check in with myself, I feel like things are going pretty well, but I’d like to do better on squeezing every ounce out of life.  I also have a few hobbies that I’d like to explore more.  One hobbies I already do and want to keep going, and another I’ve thought about doing for years and finally need to pull the trigger.

Here are my four for 24:

1. Live

2. Read

3. Write

4. Cast

Live - I’ll make a conscious effort to live in the moment.  The last time I made a similar resolution–to be present–was 2020.  You can imagine how it went.  This year, I want to be more purposeful with my rest time so that I recharge my batteries properly and can be as in the moment as I can the rest of the time.  

Read - According to my reading app, I read 26 books and 9,182 pages last year.  Not bad.  This year, Imma hit 10,000 pages.

Write - Hope y’all like this Stack, because I’m going to keep doing it.  I’ve really enjoyed writing it so far, it’s borderline therapeutic as I take the thoughts out of my head and try to organize them on paper.

Cast - A long time fantasy of mine is to start a podcast.  It’s happening this year.  Yes, it was also one of eleven resolutions from 2022.

Happy New Year’s, everyone.