Why I Won’t Be Making Any New Year’s Resolutions

Hello, loves! Coming atcha with the very last post of 2017 (*gasp* how is this real?) Seriously, 2017 feels like it passed in the blink of an eye, seemingly faster than any year before it but maybe that’s just a side effect of getting older? (Says the 19-year-old).

But really. I do think I grew older this year. Not in the purely number way or physically, but mentally and emotionally. I think I finally began to feel less like a child and more like an adult, though I still am NOWHERE near calling myself an adult. It’s a strange cusp, like Britney’s “not a girl, not yet a woman.” But it’s such an interesting time because the self-discoveries just keep on coming. It’s like, right when I think I basically know myself through and through, I uncover some new piece. I guess that happens throughout life, though, huh?

Today I wanted to talk about the concept of New Year’s resolutions, and why I don’t buy it.

See, I used to be the girl who would make a giant list of all my resolutions, things like “read more books” or “stop fighting with mom” or “be in bed by 11pm every night.” You all probably know how each of those turned out. After a successful two or three weeks, the resolutions would get pushed aside in the face of the normal ebbs and flows of life, and eventually forgotten. And then I would feel quite direction-less for the rest of the year, not really sure what I wanted to work on, and more than that, feeling like I wasn’t capable of following anything through.

But of course, I’m not incapable. It’s just the whole concept of resolutions throws a bunch of rules at you that you will now follow starting January 1st. Like the new year has made you an entirely different person. News flash: December 31st Nicole is the exact same person as January 1st Nicole.

I realized that setting hard resolutions is a surefire way to feel like a failure and to not make any changes. The real way to make change is to be intentional about making stead
y progress.

So if you want to start going to bed early, you decide that every week you will go to bed 10 minutes earlier. If you want to read more, you put a book by your bed, set a reminder on your phone, and read at least 2 pages before bed. Setting unrealistic expectations on yourself from the get-go will make you resent the goal because it will feel so impossible.

All that being said, I love making plans, setting goals, and dreaming big. So I’m not going into this year with zero direction (but if that’s your jam, then do what works for you!) But instead of resolutions, I’m setting intentions.

To me, intentions are much more general than goals. They hold much more grace. They say, this is what I want to accomplish, but I know that might look a lot of different ways, and I’m not holding myself to any pre-conceived molds.

A few of my intentions this year (that I wrote in my journal with my Vanilla candle nearby about 10 minutes ago) are:

1. Be more present. Spend intentional time alone with your thoughts.

2. Walk more. Aim to be active outside every day.

3. Listen more. Before you give advice, ask if that is what the person needs.

4. Be more patient with people, and remember that everyone has bad days.

5. Start prioritizing sleep by scheduling it in first.

6. Be more mindful of your spending and create a budget.

7. Go on adventures and try new things.

8. Travel to new places.

9. Be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid of getting hurt. The most beautiful things happen when you leap in, no fear.

10. Always be true to YOU and follow your heart when making any choice.

I wish you an abundant, growth-inducing, and happy year, and I hope your New Year celebrations are chock-ful of joy and loved ones.

Linking up with Amanda for Thinking Out Loud

What are some of your intentions for 2018?

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