New Year’s Resolutions 2023
New Year’s resolutions are fascinating. Like a lot of people, I set a few every year, determined that this will be THE YEAR that I lose weight, exercise more, read more books or achieve a better work-life balance. Whilst I have had limited success with some resolutions, usually reality sets in by the time February rolls around, and my grand plans are out the window.
In this post, I want to explore where the idea of beginning the new year by resolving to do things differently might have come from. I would like to consider why so many of us find it difficult to meet the goals we set ourselves. And finally I’ll give some thought to my resolutions for 2023
Where Did New Year’s Resolutions Originate?
There are many examples of practices in keeping with New Year’s Resolutions throughout history, often with religious connotations. Perhaps the earliest was the Babylonians, who would promise their Gods to get free of debt and return any borrowed items.
Generally, the premise seems to stem from reflecting on the year that has come to an end, and endeavouring to do better next year.
New Year’s Resolutions Today
There are limited data on the number of people who make New Year’s Resolutions in the present day, though surveys estimate approximately 30-50% of people will do so in 2023.
Sadly, many of those who make resolutions do not see them through. There are a myriad of reasons for this.
Primarily, people set goals for themselves that are not SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound). So, for example, weight loss is a common target at the start of a new year. But instead of simply saying, “This year, I want to lose weight,” the resolution should read something along the lines of, “This year, I am going to lose 0.5kg per week in order to achieve my target healthy weight by the end of June, and then maintain this weight for the remainder of the year. To integrate this into my current lifestyle, I have downloaded the NHS calorie counting app and have had my bike serviced so that I can fit exercise into my day by cycling to and from work.”
Secondly, goals are often made without any mechanism for accountability. If you haven’t told anyone about your wish to go from novice jogger to marathon runner in 12 months, there won’t be anyone encouraging you to get off the sofa and go for a jog in the January rain. However, if you download the Couch to 5k app, and enrol for a 5km race at Easter, a 10km race in June and a marathon at the end of October, and you tell your best friend that you’ve done so, you’re much more likely to achieve your aim.
Thirdly, there is too much emphasis placed on the end goal, without ensuring the required habits are established and integrated to achieve that goal. We’ve touched on this a little already with the previous two points. If the goal is to lose weight, what habits do you need to put in place regarding your diet and exercise, in order to make this goal achievable and sustainable? There must be a realistic means of you incorporating these habits into your daily routine to stand any chance of meeting your ultimate goal.
Fourthly, there may be a lack of motivation to achieve the goals that have been set. Before committing to a resolution, it is important to know WHY you want to work on this particular area of your life. Do you want to lose weight to benefit your health and well-being, or because you believe it will make you happier and more attractive? Do you want to read two books each month because you wish to improve your knowledge base and creativity, or because having a few novels to talk about might make you sound more interesting?
Leading on from this, some goals can be too large. If your list of resolutions seems to equate to an overhaul of your entire life, then perhaps there are some deeper-seated issues to address first. It may be worth talking through your discontent with a close friend or family member, or a therapist if you have one.
My Resolutions for 2023
As I write this, I am almost nine months pregnant and about to pop! This has certainly informed my choices for resolutions this year.
Continue to write two blog posts per week
I am relatively new to blogging, but have found this to be a wonderful creative and cathartic outlet already. I want to continue posting twice a week to keep track of the progress of our various projects, to document the first year of our baby’s life, and hopefully to encourage more people to think about living more simply and sustainably.
I have put reminders for this in my diary, with time allocated for writing blog posts twice per week, and I have told my husband about this goal.
To cycle more miles than I drive
Until I was about four months pregnant, I was cycling to and from work (about four miles each way) and also did a 30 mile round trip by bicycle each week for the food shop. This provided me with lots of good exercise and significantly reduced the carbon footprint of my weekly travels.
I want to get back into cycling once I have recovered post-delivery to integrate this into our baby’s upbringing from the very beginning. This will help me to get back in shape following my pregnancy and ensure baby gets lots of fresh air and time outdoors, as we cycle to various local beauty spots for daily walks.
Now more than ever, I want to minimise my impact on the environment so that I am doing all that I can to ensure a safe future for my baby. Hence my desire to use the car only if absolutely necessary and choose to use the bike instead wherever possible.
I will keep track of any mileage done by bike and in the car. I have told my husband about this goal and have committed to make a donation to charity if I do not succeed; the number of extra miles done in the car will be paid in pounds sterling to The Woodland Trust.
To complete the 75-Hard Challenge
Again, this is another tool to motivate me through my post-partum recovery. The 75-Hard Challenge is pretty tough. Participants have to drink a gallon of water, stick to a diet, read 10 pages of a non-fiction book, complete 2x 45 minute workouts, abstain from alcohol and take a progress photograph everyday for 75 days. If any elements are missed, you have to start again.
This is something that my husband and I will do together to motivate each other and hold ourselves accountable.
I will write a blog post about our experience once we have completed it!
Do not allow clutter back in the house
Having spent a lot of time this year ridding our house of clutter, I am determined not to allow it back in!
Easier said than done; it seems that everyone and his wife feels compelled to bring new babies a gift, so we are in dangerous territory in terms of re-cluttering our home.
I will take a monthly sweep through the house, identifying any superfluous items for the bin or donations. I have also set very clear expectations with friends and family that they do not need to bring us anything when they come to meet the new baby – we would actually prefer it if they didn’t! We are not using any new textiles as we have acquired plenty second hand. We also absolutely do not want any plastic toys or anything battery operated. Anything we do not want will be moved on. Hopefully everyone has the picture!
George and I are now in the routine that we don’t impulse buy. All purchases are carefully considered and made only on the first weekend of each month.
Top Tips
- Start with your goal. WHY do you want to work on this particular area of your life? Do you want it badly enough to make sacrifices in other areas, to create space in your daily routine for new habits? Perhaps talk your ideas through with someone close to you if you need to check your motivation is coming from the right place.
- Break the goal down. In order to achieve this, what habits do you need to put into place? How can you realistically integrate these into your daily routine? Are there measurable milestones along the way to your main aim?
- Use the above to set SMART resolutions.
- Include a form of accountability. Who can support you to achieve your goals? What happens if you don’t succeed?
- Consider setting yourself a reward. If the feel-good factor of achieving your targets is not enough, the promise of allowing yourself a little something extra might help to really motivate you through the year!
