The Nuances of New Year Resolutions

The Nuances of New Year Resolutions

There is always an ecstatic buzz about new year’s.  One of the commonest yet important act is the writing of new year resolutions. Resolution in this context means a firm decision to do or not do something.  Before every new year, people write these decisions to do or not to do something in the form of plans. Do you find writing resolutions to be a herculean task? Here are simple guidelines (SMART);

Specific: Give clear and concise details about what you want to achieve. Do not set vague resolutions. For instance, I want to do a postgraduate program is vague. You ought to be specific, say, I want to begin my MBA in Finance journey this year. Do you get the difference now?

Measurable: You need to set indicators that you can use to track the progress of your resolutions. Answering the question “how do I know I have reached my goal or how do I measure progress?”, should help.  For instance; you want to lose weight of 5kg in 1month.

You can track your progress by ensuring you lose  1.25kg in weight every week.

Attainable: Make sure to write resolutions that can be achieved. The resolution should be challenging but with the right mindset and effort,  it should be achievable.  To be able to achieve your resolutions, ensure you have the resources and capabilities, 

Realistic: Write your resolutions in a manner that can be realistically achieved given the time and resources.  Also, ensure that you can commit to achieving your set resolutions.

Time-bound: When writing resolutions, give yourself deadlines or time-frames to accomplish them.  A classic example is, by September I will be done building my 5-bedroom apartment. The timelines could be; In January, the foundation will be built, between February to April 3 bedrooms will be done, and by July the remaining two will be built. In August the final touches (such as roofing, plumbing, electricals, and furnishing) will be done. Then in September, the completed 5-bedroom apartment will be available for use.

Most people are guilty of writing resolutions that cover just one or two aspects of their lives. Your new year resolutions should span across; religion, social-life, love-life, family, finances, academia, health, work-life and personal development.

A caveat you should observe is, do not write your resolutions solely based on the present and future. Those who do not learn the mistakes from history are bound to repeat them. Go back in time, what did I do wrong with the previous year’s resolutions? What can I do differently this time to yield a better result? Answering these questions will save you from the repetitive cycle of writing resolutions yet accomplishing nothing.

Let us do a brief assignment, shall we?

Resolutions give people a sense of purpose and clear direction about their lives.  If you haven’t written your new year’s resolutions, what are you waiting for?  I challenge you to do so now!  If you feel your resolution is shambolic, I  challenge you to write a better one!

Lastly, do not write your resolutions and toss them under the pillow. Religiously act on your written resolutions. Anytime you feel lazy to act or want to procrastinate, let this  pre-school poem, “time and tide waits for no man”,  and this famous saying by Pablo Picasso, “action is the foundational key to all success” serve as a clarion call.

39 Comments
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