4 Steps for Simple New Year’s Resolutions (with FREE cheat sheet)
Do you ever dread making New Year’s resolutions? Here are 4 steps to making simple New Year’s resolutions you won’t poop out on—plus get a free cheat sheet!
Free Simple New Year’s Resolution cheat sheet
Want an easy way to make New Year’s resolutions that you won’t poop out on? I’ve got the solution! Get the password for the library with the free Simple New Year’s Resolutions cheat sheet here by filling out this form:
4 Steps for Resolutions that You Won’t Poop Out On
When I think of New Year’s resolutions, I usually think of everything horrible that I need to fix in the upcoming, fresh and sparkly new year. Like, stop eating so many sweets. And go through the massive room full of stuff hidden away in the back of the house. Finish up our bathroom renovation. And exercise more. And all the things.
It’s overwhelming. So then of course I don’t want to do any of it, or even think about doing any of it. So I stopped for a second and thought, what does this word resolution literally mean? Cue a quick search and it basically means a decision.
So I’m realizing, hey, putting pressure on ourselves to overhaul every single thing in our lives as soon as the clock rolls over to January 1 is actually NOT what this has to be about.
Don’t get me wrong, because I do love the idea of a bright and shiny new year with all its possibilities. It’s a great opportunity to dream and plan all the stuff we’d love to do. Vacations, family outings, yummy meals (food… om nom), movie nights… it’s exciting to think about!
But I’m getting a new perspective on all this resolution business. And one that’s NOT overwhelming, because all the hype boils down to this: a fresh opportunity to decide what’s important.
Yes, there are some tasks and goals we want to accomplish, but it’s about so much more. It’s about choosing to focus on what will bring us joy and a sense of fulfillment.
For me, when I start thinking about what’s most important, what I want to accomplish, how I want to spend my time, etc… It helps to make a list. That way I can see all the things all at once.
Making a New Year’s resolution is actually nothing more than prioritizing. It was such a relief when I realized this because that’s so easy! Why was this whole idea so depressing before? I’m liking this new mentality.
So writing a quick list will get everything out so you can see it, and from there it’s simple to pick the few things you want to focus on in the new year. And if you want to make it extra-very-super easy, I’ve got a free resource to help you knock this puppy out in just a few minutes, without the stress!
Free Simple New Year’s Resolution cheat sheet
Want an easy way to make New Year’s resolutions that you won’t poop out on? I’ve got the solution! Get the password for the library with the free Simple New Year’s Resolutions cheat sheet here by filling out this form:
Prioritize your New Year’s resolutions by category
Okay, now that you’ve printed out your cheat sheet, it’ll be easy to jot down the things you really want to spend time on in each category. Home, work, family, spiritual, financial, health, personal…
It’s all right there so just take a few minutes to list the stuff that you want to focus on in 2019. Keep in mind that it’s all about what you want to spend your time on, about what’s most valuable in your life.
Thinking things like, “Oh I’ve got to lose weight, I’ve gotta exercise 4 times a week, and I need to quit spending so much time on my phone, and I have to start saving money, I’ve gotta cut my spending and quit eating out all the time…”
That sort of mentality is not going to help produce results. It’s just not. You’ll get overwhelmed, you won’t know where to start, and I guarantee you that none of it will happen.
Don’t try to overhaul your life in one fell swoop. Instead, think about what you cherish in life and want to incorporate more of in the next 365 days.
Focus on just a few resolutions
After your cheat sheet’s all nice and full of exciting things, it’s time to narrow that puppy down. It would be nice if we could tackle everything, but if we really want this bad boy to produce results, we can’t try to implement 5,378 things.
So spend some time going back over your list and deciding which items you want to prioritize. Which ones are going to add more joy to your life? What’s going to give your life purpose and a sense of fulfillment? Put a checkmark beside those things, and keep it around 6-8 things so it’s actually doable.
And be honest with yourself. Yes, we all want to be healthier and we all want to lose weight, but you know yourself. Are you gonna follow through with this stuff? Or are you gonna poop out after 10 days and say, “Resolutions are a joke! I’ve already blown it for the year, what’s the point?”
CONFESSION: I’m extremely guilty of this. Which is not what we’re aiming for. We want to shift our focus to what’s going to improve our lives, not give ourselves 489 tasks in order to create some super-perfect new year’s self. Because that would be a joke. No wonder so many resolutions don’t even last past January.
Choose your first steps
So, our mentality is in the right place, priorities are in check, and we’ve narrowed our focus to just a few items. Here’s where we get to the last part of the cheat sheet: choosing a few steps to start off with.
If one of your priorities is spending more time with your family, what’s that going to look like? I mean, how are you going to make that happen? Setting a regular movie night, a special dinner once a week, a game night? Write down what that looks like to you.
What about financially, where do you want to put forth the most effort? A monthly budget meeting with your spouse?
If your priority is saving money or cutting back, what’s one change you could make to start the ball rolling? Taking your lunch to work, not going shopping without a list? Pick one thing to do as your first step.
Keep it simple and intentional
Sit back and take a look at your list. Can you believe you just did that? To be honest, I’ve never been the best at New Year’s resolutions. Because the expectations I always used to put on myself were a joke. Now with these 4 simple steps, taking advantage of a bright new year full of opportunities is something I don’t have to miss out on.
Shifting my mentality away from “changing ALL the things” to intentionally placing my focus on the most valuable things is so doable. Refocusing and prioritizing makes for SIMPLE New Year’s resolutions, and ones that are maintainable!
Free Simple New Year’s Resolution cheat sheet
Want an easy way to make New Year’s resolutions that you won’t poop out on? I’ve got the solution! Get the password for the library with the free Simple New Year’s Resolutions cheat sheet here by filling out this form:
Related posts:
- 7 Steps for a Hopeful New Year (with FREE worksheet)
- 100 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Start Saving Money Today
- How Can I Stop Feeling So Overwhelmed?
- 7 Reasons Why You Need a Basic Budget
- How I Quit My Job When I Couldn’t Afford To
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