I don’t like “new years resolutions”: they create a binary state of “success” or “failure”.
If you resolve to “go to the gym 3 times a week”, if you get sick and don’t manage to do that once, you’ve failed. And you’re far more likely to give up completely.
I much prefer the concept of “yearly themes”: rather than resolving to do a particular action, you have a concept that guides your thoughts, actions, and decisons. As long as your decision making is guided by your theme, you’re moving in the right direction.
The whole idea is meant to help build long-term, habit forming changes: something that new years resolutions are notoriously bad at doing.
The Year of Me
I’ve recently realised how fragile my self-confidence is.
Because of this, I’ve decided that my theme for 2025 will be the “Year of Me”.
This will, for example, include things like:
- improving my physical health and fitness
- focusing more on my own mental wellbeing
- vocalising and prioritising my own wants and needs, rather than just saying “I don’t mind…”
But unlike a resolution, I’m not resolving to do anything in particular. Rather, I’m aiming to make choices that will — by the end of the year — help move me in the right direction and learn to be a more self-actualising person, more comfortable with myself, and more resilient.