Are New Year Resolutions Overrated?

"New Year. New Me. Same Dreams. Fresh Start."

Every beginning of a new year brings hope and the desire to better oneself. If 2020 was one of the most challenging years in my life, I am very grateful 2021 brought me change, refuge, family, and peace of mind. 2022 was a reinforcement of my commitment to family, stability and balance. And I'm hoping 2023 will go down the same path with a little more balance and work fulfillment.

My birthday is in December so I usually end the year making sure I not only celebrate the Holidays well, but also celebrate myself the way I deserve and wish to. I love pampering myself on my special day and usually have a very soothing day at the spa, and then spend quality time with my family. Full body hot stone massage, steam room and sauna, combined with intermittent ice-cold showers, and a nice swim in a beachfront infinity pool, I can spend several long hours enjoying these all-so-soothing and reviving rituals, all-the-while reading a good book, sipping on a spicy ginger tea or dozing off into my own thoughts. And may I add I particularly enjoy doing all of this during my fasting window. It allows me to connect to my body and core in such a profound way that it’s impossible to come out of such a session without loving yourself and feeling good in both body and mind.

Over the years, it has become important to me to make sure my special day includes some of my favorite things to spend time.

That being said, all this self-care is a good way to end the year, and creates a good foundation to tackle the January blues I usually dread and allows me to move on to my new year resolutions.

I do believe in new year resolutions, and I also work on my goals throughout the year. I think it’s important to take the time to renew these resolutions and adjust them to manage our expectations. I usually choose one main resolution for the year and will give priority to that one. And I’ll keep the others in the background to work on if and when possible. But if I at least make some progress on the first resolution, that’s enough to keep me satisfied with my progress.

One must be careful with new year resolutions. It takes a lot more than a resolution to create real change and setting high expectations in a certain time frame can create disappointment and a feeling of failure. Somewhere between the end of the year and the beginning of the next, whenever I am ready, I write down the things I am grateful for, the things I have achieved in the past year and which I am most proud of. I thank and congratulate myself and then move on to renewing or setting my goals for the following year. I take the opportunity of a "fresh start" to reorganize my home and work spaces, as well as my digital tools.

I think it's a positive thing to have goals and know in which direction you are headed. I also check in with my goals every semester to follow-up or readjust them, it gives me a sense of direction and control. But we must remember that life is unpredictable, that we are imperfect beings, and that as much as we all want to achieve many things in our life span, we must accept that not all is possible, things aren't as ideal as we want them to be, and all we can do is the best that we can and be kind to ourselves when we think we fall short.

It's good not to lose sight of our goals so that we are reminded of where we want to go and what we want to accomplish most. It's important to take steps in the direction we have set and to work towards these goals on a regular basis. But most of all, it's important to acknowledge that it's ok to fail, it's ok to take a break, it's ok to go through set backs, and that goals and timelines can be readjusted according to your mood, capabilities, budget, lifestyle, schedule and anything else that requires working around. When in doubt or disappointment, pause, reflect and start thinking outside the box on ways to readjust your routine and still be able to incorporate the steps that will get you closer to your goal.

Here are small and simple life hacks by @businessmindset101 that will improve your life and routine considerably:

1. Waking up early allows you to get a good head start and more time to work out, plan your day and prepare your mind for positivity and productivity.

2. Writing down your thoughts before bed will improve your quality of sleep. You can put your mind to rest by writing down your goals for the next day, what you're grateful for, and any negative thoughts.

3. Learning an online skill 30 minutes a day, such as coding, YoutTbe, copywriting, digital marketing, design or content creation. With inflation and taxes rising everywhere, and online skill can help you financially. You can earn USD 50 to USD 250 / hour.

4. Spend 1 hour a day exercising to maintain a good mental and physical health. The best results will come by running, swimming, cycling or lifting weights. These will strengthen and tone your body fast. Exercise allows more oxygen to your brain and allows you to take a break from mental load.

5. Sit in silence 10 minutes a day, practice mindfulness, be present in the moment.

6. Create a proper sleep schedule and environment. Sleep is essential to performance, mental health, reducing stress and improving your mood. For deep, regenerating and quality sleep avoid screens and food 2 hours before bed, make your room cooler, and use blackout curtains. Bedtime habits such as beauty rituals and hypnosis also help me fall into my sleep routine.

7. Take a 30-minute walk in nature to get rid of anxiety, increase happiness, and improve your mood. Nature has a grounding effect and will improve your day.

8. Read 20 pages a day to strengthen your mind, increase your focus, your knowledge and self-confidence. Just 20 pages a day will give you a huge return in life.

9. I will add that a good water intake and balanced nutrition will help your body and mind stay focused and in shape. If you can control your nutrition, you can tackle most things that come at you.

In the end, the secret is to not put unnecessary stress and pressure on yourself when it comes to new year resolutions. Try cutting back on bad habits progressively rather than radically wanting to become a whole new other person. Change doesn't happen just because it's a new year, change happens when we set our minds to it and truly commit, and change can start at anytime of the year.

On this note, I wish you all a very successful and happy new year 2023! Do more of what you love, and more of what is good for you. Remember that a calendar is just a notion, and that you are the only one who can decide when and how your life evolves.

Sarah The Digital GypSea

Dominican Republic, January 2023