Resolutions have been popular for so long, but this year I’m sharing why I’m quitting them, and sticking to goals for 2020.
In this post on Instagram, my blogging friend, Danielle, shared what resolutions are, and why they’re potentially not a great way to begin the new year. Her quote was so good, I felt the need to share it here, because it perfectly sums up exactly why I don’t prefer resolutions, and haven’t participated in writing them down for several years. She writes, “By definition, a resolution is the process of resolving; the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter. Our resolutions present themselves as problems that need to be fixed (not eating healthy, need to fix it; spending too much time on social media, need to fix it)…but what happens when we can’t “fix” those problems?” This was just the kick in the pants I needed to begin focusing on this brand new decade in an equally brand new light.
Rather than writing resolutions (I’m done with those for good), I’ll be writing down some aspirations and goals for 2020, along with a word of the year. While I’d love to say I was incredibly organized, and have these goals categorized and color-coded, I definitely do not. Instead, I took one of my first goals to heart, and didn’t stress so much about the way this post was presented. You’ll see what I mean if you just keep reading.
My Aspirations and Goals for 2020
Care less about presentation, and more about what is being presented
Last year, when it came to my blog, and even my life, I took a lot of care in the presentation. Everything was curated and neat. I posted on Instagram, only sharing content I thought would perform well. I sometimes tried to make my life seem a certain way, when it really wasn’t that way at all. This year, I’m thinking less about the surface stuff, and more about sharing things online and IRL that mean something to me. If it’s not something I am truly interested in sharing, I won’t share it. And I certainly won’t try to share it an any sort of inauthentic way.
Immerse myself in literature
On January 1st, I created a Goodreads account. Mind you, this is something I’d been telling myself to do for years, and I just “hadn’t gotten to it.” So I spent several hours, deep-diving into books I’ve read in the past, books I’m currently reading, and books I want to read in the future. I discovered that in 2019, I had read over 30 books, and I was really proud of myself. This year, my goal is to read far more than that, and take in even more new genres or pieces that are out of my comfort zone (like something other than young adult fantasy fiction, for once). Oh, and if you want to follow me and see my reviews as I read – before my round-ups make it to the blog – you can do that here.
Take one fitness class each week
Yep, I’ll fully admit that I added a fitness-related item to my list of goals, and I’m not even slightly ashamed. This has nothing to do with my weight or outward appearance, but it has everything to do with the fact that I want to experience new things, I want to keep my body moving, and I’d love to discover a new hobby in fitness. I know I already adore yoga, and barre is a ton of fun. Next on my list? Something called “Nia” which is apparently a class that combines dancing and martial arts and looks hilarious from the outsider’s perspective, but also seems like a lot of fun!
discover joy in baking and cooking
My mom loves to bake. My sister loves to bake and cook. My husband loves to cook. I, on the other hand, don’t particularly enjoy being in the kitchen, unless I’m concocting a mixed beverage. I used to find so much joy in baking when I was younger, but as I got older, I became more overwhelmed by the multiple tasks, and don’t even get me started on how stressful cooking is. However, there was one lazy Saturday morning in October that I got up, put on some jazz, opened my windows, and baked pumpkin bread. And guess what? It was glorious. So I want to find that same kind of pleasure in the kitchen more often this year.
get creative
This is my favorite goal. In fact, it stems from my word of the year: create. I want to create memories, opportunities, content, and magical moments. I want to use the creative mind that God gave me to really make the most of this year. I’m reminding myself daily that it’s okay to not make a penny for every single hobby, and that having fun with art doesn’t always need to be directly related to my work. However, it’s also super exciting that I want to create more video content and focus on a vision board for my branding. Creativity can come in many different forms, and I can’t wait to experience them all in 2020.
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While I’m thrilled to be setting these goals for myself this year, I’m also giving myself grace. There may be weeks that I don’t make it to the gym, I might get super frustrated while cooking one day, and sometimes a creative spark is hard to come by. I’ll be aspiring to reach my goals, while also being patient, kind, and considerate towards myself. This way, I don’t fall into the same miserable pit that resolutions can often produce. It’s going to be a great year!
