Imagup General Magazine 2024
The New Year is all about looking back and reflecting on all you’ve accomplished and all you can do better. It’s also about making new resolutions for the coming year that will help you improve as a person and hopefully better your life.
There are so many possible resolutions that you can choose from that it might be difficult to settle on one or two. It’s important to realize, though, that you shouldn’t try to do too much, otherwise you could get overwhelmed and get frustrated when you aren’t able to accomplish them all.
Also, your resolutions should be S.M.A.R.T:
- Specific – make a concrete goal
- Measurable – you should be able to track your progress
- Achievable – be realistic with your goals
- Relevant – make sure it matters to you
- Time-bound – establish a timeline
Structuring your goals around these guidelines will mean that you are more likely to complete them. It’s not always easy to find something that matches the criteria of a S.M.A.R.T goal, so here are some ideas that you can use to get yourself started.
Get Out of Debt
In today’s economic climate it’s rare for a person to not be in debt. Often, many people ignore the problem and continue to let it grow because they feel like there’s no way that they can get things under control.
If you’re in debt, consider making it your New Year’s resolution to visit CreditCanada.com and start your journey towards financial wellness. One of their Credit Counsellors will work with you to create S.M.A.R.T financial goals and, in time, get you to a place where you are debt-free.
Lose Weight
Much like debt, losing weight is on the minds of a number of people, but it’s often hard to achieve. There are a number of reasons why you might find it difficult to lose weight, but one could be that you haven’t found a method that you like and that has worked yet.
Do your research first and see what kind of plan works for you. From there, ensure that your weight loss goal is realistic, measurable and that you’re giving yourself a set timeframe to do it.
Stop a Bad Habit
Do you have a tendency to bite your nails or are you a smoker? Perhaps this New Year you’d like to stop these bad habits once and for all. Breaking bad habits is all about replacing them with good habits as well as changing your mindset.
Too many people get caught up in negative self-talk when they try to break habits, and all it does is put them down and stress them out even more. Instead, try to think positively and focus on the rewards that you will reap when you finally do break the habit.
Practice Self-Care
Are you kind to yourself? Do you love yourself? Do you show yourself self-compassion? It’s not uncommon for people to be hard on themselves – much harder than they’d even be to their worst enemy. Make it a goal to stop the negativity in its tracks and be kinder to yourself this year.
Some suggestions:
- Meditate daily
- Challenge negative thoughts
- Eat better
- Exercise
- Spend more time doing things you love
You could even set aside time each day that’s just dedicated to you, whether it’s meditating, taking a hot bath, or reading a good book. As long as it’s something you enjoy, then you are making an effort to take better care of yourself.
Learn a New Skill
Another very practical resolution is to learn a new skill. You could try learning:
- A new language
- How to paint or draw
- A sport like a basketball, soccer, volleyball, etc.
- How to drive, skate, ride a bike
- How to dance
- How to do basic home repairs
There are so many new skills you could try to learn, and this kind of goal is really easy to track, measure, and create a realistic timeline for. For example, you could make it a goal to learn how to draw at a beginner level by the end of the year.
You could also take a class for the skills you would like to learn, which will make it really easy to track your progress over time. It’ll also be great motivation since it’s often hard to learn something on your own without some form of guidance.
Read More
Whether you’re someone who likes to read or not, you may want to start to get into the habit of reading regularly. There are a number of advantages to reading: it helps you relax, keeps your brain sharp, and can even improve your ability to relate to and understand others.
Set a goal that feels comfortable to you. Whether you want to try reading a book every month or two, or maybe you’d like to create a list of books you want to read this year. Set up a scheduled time where you read every day, even if it’s just for a half-hour. You’ll be surprised to see how fast you accomplish this goal when you really put your mind to it.
Travel More
Have you asked yourself lately why you’re not getting out there and seeing more of the world? Traveling is an enriching experience that gives you fond memories to look back on.
Is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit? Find out how much it would cost to take your dream trip, and make a plan to save up for it and a timeline of when you want to go.
What about exploring your local area more? So many people live in one place without really getting to appreciate it as a tourist would. Why not make a list of places you’d like to see in your area this year?
Do Things That Make You Happy
Whatever resolutions you settle on, just make sure that they are the ones that’ll make you happy – that way, you’ll be more motivated to stick with them until the end of the year.
