Not Just a Man's World

Happy New Year!

Traditionally we spend the days leading up to 1 January each year coming up with resolutions.  We resolve to do new things for the next year, or promise to stop doing other things.  More often than not we set the targets at impossible heights and then either recognise this and don’t even try to achieve our resolutions or get upset when we fail to achieve them.

I could use this post to set out what my own improbable resolutions will be for the year ahead or write some sort of inspirational piece about setting goals, but I won’t.  I’ve written elsewhere about identifying what motivates you and goal-setting and I don’t set traditional resolutions at this time of year.

Instead, I spend this annual resolution-setting time to get a feel for the year ahead.

The blank sheet of paper

I start with a blank sheet of paper and write down all the things I think I would like to learn, achieve or develop that year.  However improbable.

I try to keep it positive and avoid listing things I’m going to stop doing unless it is phrased as a “replace” statement (eg. “I’m going to start going for a walk each Sunday evening instead of sitting at home drinking half a bottle of wine”).  Last year’s paper had all sorts of things ranging from doing 100 miles on my bike in a single ride and learning how to build and light fires outdoors to learning a new sonata on my violin every month and achieving an Olympic lifter’s ass-to-grass squat (and we all know how well I’ve done at that last one).

What’s actually realistic?

Next I work out which of them are truly aspirational goals.  The impractical things which will only happen if something drastic changes in my life or which will take much more than a year to achieve.  Let’s face it, doing a world tour on my bike this year was never going to happen. 

I try to find alternatives for these or break them down into smaller steps that are more do-able for a single year.  So this year we did several week long bike tours.

Spreading your resolutions

The next challenge is to make it as achievable as possible.  How many people set out to meet all their resolutions in January and fall at the first hurdle because there’s too much to suddenly start doing and too much change to the habitual routine?

I draw up a mini calendar and allocate everything on the list to a suitable month.  Cycling 100 miles and fire lighting went into the summer months.  Building confidence at cross-country skiing and doing some big days on the skis went into March when I knew I had a snowy holiday planned. 

Forget it all and get on with life

So I’ve got a piece of paper with all the things I would like to achieve allocated across the year.  Now that I’ve got it out of my system I bin the paper. 

That’s right.  I scrap it!

Putting it on paper cements in my mind the things I’d really like to do.  The ones I’m truly committed to I don’t forget and having spent some time focussed on them, I’ve also got in my mind a plan for the best time of year to have a go at it.  Those things will happen, without a doubt.

Getting rid of the paper is liberating.  Who wants a dismal reminder in 12 months time of all the things they didn’t achieve?  Who wants the inflexibility to not be able to change their intentions as new opportunities present themselves? 

Life happens and plans change.  I have no idea where I’ll be in 12 months time.  I might have a good idea but then circumstances have a tendency to change rapidly and unexpectedly and can play havoc with detailed plans. 

Have a happy New Year and I wish you the best of luck with making the most of the year ahead, whatever it throws at you.

Related posts:

1. Setting (and changing) your goals
2. New Year, fresh start