Creating New Year’s resolutions is a popular tradition during the holidays. Whether people plan to go to
the gym more, read more books, travel to new places, grow their company, or have countless other
goals, it’s usually easy to write a list of resolutions but not always easy to follow through on them. These
resolutions may be small and personal, or they may be connected to wider objectives. Even if you find
keeping resolutions to be challenging, it’s worth reflecting on the year that is coming to an end and the
upcoming year that has so much potential. Below is a list of five tips for creating New Year’s resolutions
for you or your organization.
1. Reflect on the Past
The past, present, and future are all deeply connected. It’s nearly impossible to imagine where you want to be if you don’t know where you are and how you got there. Take stock of the past year. What were your setbacks, successes, and stepping stones? What did you do, who did you meet, and what were the results? Congratulate yourself on any personal or organizational growth, and consider how you can continue to build on the foundation you’ve created.
2. Examine the Present
What values do you have, and what is important to you? You can’t begin to create goals until you know why you’re developing them and how they fit into your current identity. All your experiences from the past have led you to where you are today, and that will be the springboard to where you’ll be tomorrow. Assess your present situation and the opportunities that are available.
3. Envision the Future
Once you’ve reviewed your past and analyzed your present, you’ll be better able to imagine the future you want to create. At the beginning of a new year, there are so many paths you can take and new doors to open. Deciding on the direction you want to go can be an anxiety-inducing process, but it can also be an exciting and fun opportunity to chart a new way forward or even just make small improvements that will help you be your best self.
4. Be Realistic
As fun as it can be to make all sorts of fanciful promises to yourself, it helps to be realistic about what you can achieve and how long it will take. Find a balance between needlessly limiting yourself and setting the bar higher than you can reach. You want to be able to look back at the end of the year and feel proud that you accomplished something amazing, but you don’t want to put more pressure on yourself than you can handle or set your plans up to fail. Be confident, believe in yourself, and manifest that belief in a way that is practical and honest.
5. Be Authentic
It can be easy to look at other people and say, “I want to be like them!” But the goals you set should be true to your identity and shouldn’t be based on other people’s expectations or interests. Most of us have role models or people we admire, and it’s okay to take inspiration from the people around us. We can also recognize the relationships that are important to us, and how our actions can positively affect our friends, families, and communities. Ultimately, though, your goals are unique to you and need to be rooted in who you are.
Conclusion
Setting New Year’s resolutions can be an enjoyable process. If you want to actually achieve the goals you create, you have to give yourself or your organization the tools you need to succeed. iPlume Writing specializes in helping people, businesses, and charities articulate their goals and make them possible. Whether you need a résumé for that new job you hope to apply for, are planning to write a grant application, need a bio for your LinkedIn page, want a business plan that explains your company’s goals, are responding to an exciting new RFP, or are creating a mission statement for your non-profit organization, we can help with a wide variety of writing and editing tasks that will fit your needs.
Contact iPlume Writing today, and let us help you make your resolutions a reality.
