I wrote a blog post last year about my thoughts and feelings surrounding resolutions, but I wanted to write an updated version. I still abide by what I said last year as I still like to make my ‘resolutions’ achievable and realistic, but I also have more that I want to work on and achieve this year.

Overall, what is key for me with resolutions, or whatever you would like to call them, is that they are something that you want to do for you, will make you feel good and are not designed to hang over you all year.

My advice for making resolutions is:

Ask yourself a few questions –

• Is it something you genuinely want to do?
• Is it something you can maintain?
• Is this resolution / goal achieveable for you? Can you alter it so that it is?

Think about –

• Why you want to make this resolution
• Which areas of your life would you like to make changes in – eg. would you like to work on socialising, health, fitness, leisure time, relationships
• Is what you want to do going to make you feel better in yourself
• Short term / long term
• How much of a challenge you want to give yourself

These are just some of my ideas, but as you know yourself best, you know what is right for you.

This year, I have decided to add some achievements to the ‘resolutions’ page of my bullet journal. This includes plans to graduate in the summer, and to learn to drive this year. I would also really like to have a big sort out of my stuff because I have been living half at home and half at uni for the past couple of years and haven’t had a good sort out in ages (and I really need to).

Something I would like to gradually work on is being more environmentally conscious. This doesn’t mean I will immediately be doing everything to the extreme, but I would like to make changes that I feel able to make and maintain.

As usual, I want to keep up meditation and yoga for my mental health. I’m not planning to make any big sweeping declarations about going to the gym, but I do want to make sure I’m getting fresh air and exericse.

During my leisure time, watching films and reading books is something that I love doing, but each year I want to make a conscious effort to do more of what I love and to watch and read new things to expand my tastes and knowledge.

One of the biggest things I want to work on personally this year is patience. My friends and family are most likely aware that patience is not one of my strengths and never has been. I think learning to be more patient will also be helpful for me regarding anxiety. I know that this will be the hardest thing for me to work on, and it will take time, but I plan to use mindfullness to help me learn to be more present and slow down.

Overall, rather than overhauling myself, this year I have thought about what I want to continue to do and what I would like to introduce into my life. These are things that I can do over time, rather than happening instantly, which will keep me motivated long-term. It is also good to check in over the year and see what is going well and working for you, and what isn’t, and what you may want to change. Remember, resolutions are traditionally made in January, but you can change something or start something new anytime you want.

G x