Coming up with something that you’ll stick to can be exhausting and draining, but not when you have a plan of action. Here are reasonable ways to write New Year’s Resolution in 2022 and stick to them.
This post was featured by Twinkl in their list of 35 + Unique New Years Resolutions to Try in 2022.
The last two years have been in hell in a fruit basket, but guess what? 2022 will definitely be better!
At least we won’t be in the middle of a pandemic anymore … Right?
Looking at next year, we now have two emergency vaccines in the American market and a lot of positive signs that things are slowly being brought under control.
But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to try our best to make certain that 2022 is the best ‘rebound year’ that it possibly can be.
I’m liable to make some funny comments in this post today, but, jokes aside, I feel pretty excited to make some reasonable, responsible resolutions to help bring my 2022 self into a better place than my 2020-2021 self has been in. If you’re also up for the challenge, then let’s get started and have some fun!
We are not here for making any unreasonable New Year’s resolution this year.
My personal take for 2022? Don’t come up with goals that I don’t have complete control over.
For me? I can’t make a goal to travel to five countries this year – I may not even get to go to one. So, that’s also advice I would give to you.
Allowing yourself to come to terms with the possible limitations will give you room to be more creative in the goals that you come up with this year. ‘Cause remember in 2020 when we all thought it would be over in summer? LOL
Table of Adventures
Make SMART Goals
Did you put on a lot of weight while being a couch potato during the pandemic (like me!)? Maybe you want to lose a bit of weight, or put on some lost muscle mass.
Know your limits. Understand that you won’t lose (or gain) all of it after a month of working out and trying to starve yourself. It’s just not realistic, and honestly, it’s dangerous to do it that way.
Making smart, attainable goals gives you the freedom to be super creative this year with your goals.
Think about it: you’re no longer confined to the inside of your home for the foreseeable future. So, why not try to learn how to surf or maybe become a lifeguard while you’re able to get out and about this year?
Why not get into group nature walks, or study a new language in a foreign country? If you want to work out and get healthier, walk to your local park and use a small space where that can happen.
Related: 25 Realistic New Years Resolutions to Try
If you’re wondering how to come up with smart goals, it’s very easy to do. I’ll show you how.
SMART goals actually come out of an acronym that means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timed.
An easy SMART goal could be wanting to take a road trip down the East Coast of the United States to visit state capitols over the summer (June, July, and August).
It’s specific: road trip down the East Coast of the USA.
It’s measurable: how many state capitols do you actually get through once the summer is over?
It’s also attainable: visiting state capitols on the East Coast.
It’s also relevant: I want to visit all of the state capitols in the USA.
And of course, it’s timed: during the summer months of June, July, and August.
As you can see, these kinds of SMART goals can be fun and can even become the challenge you want them to be. Give it a try!
Don’t Create Disappointment
Set your sights high, but … not too high.
2020 and 2021 were both years of outright heartache for a lot of people and for some the pandemic aftershocks are still shaking the ground around them.
Aside from being realistic in your goals, you should also be prepared for your initial plans to fall apart at times. You may need to be quick on your feet to remedy them and salvage your resolutions. Give your New Year’s resolution something to really hold on to in case something happens.
Easy example: your favorite coffee shop, where you stop to refuel during your morning runs, gets shut down due to maintenance, maybe having an alternate route you can run would help you from losing interest in your routine.
Obviously, you can’t come up with a thousand contingencies; just remember that when you’re making plans we don’t have the luxury of taking things for granted. If a problem comes up, you’ll deal with it more easily if you accept that nothing can be 100% set in stone.
Going back to my example of the road trip – say, unfortunately, you can’t complete it. Say, you’re unable to drive to Georgia because there are restrictions for out-of-state travelers that require you to quarantine for two weeks on arrival back to your home state and you don’t want to do that. So, instead, you extend your goal to visit Georgia later in the year.
It is okay. If we’ve all learned something in the last two years it’s that we can mellow out a bit and take things slow, at least when it comes to plans you make. That leads to less disappointment and less stress.
Related: 25 Unique and Realistic New Year Resolutions
Try for Habitual Changes
Now, I’m pretty sure you may know by now that Lemonade + Adventure is all about exploring personal development, self-care, and travel, so it goes without saying that we’re all about embracing change around here.
So, yes, you should work toward being healthier this year.
Some awesome habitual changes you can make in 2022:
- Waking yourself up at 8 AM every morning, even on the weekends (who else has seen their sleep schedule completely thrown off by the pandemic?)
- Making sure you eat a healthy breakfast every day
- Maybe you could read for 30 minutes every day on a subject you want to learn more about.
The choice is really up to you… but!
If it isn’t in the cards for you right now, don’t make it a goal. I hate to sound contradictory to our whole mission, but my point is that you shouldn’t set yourself up to fail. Just because everyone else is expecting you to do something (or if you’re reading this like “do I have to be up at 8 specifically?”) remember this: the point is for you to find something that you can stick to.
If you are in a place where you feel truly overwhelmed, or that you just can’t focus on things like driving to Atlanta, then that’s fine. The healthiest thing you can do for yourself is to take care of yourself. So make a resolution to do that.
Find something that will change your life for the better. Don’t pick something that follows the crowd, lead your own life.
Related: I Have One Year to Lose 70 Pounds
Tackle an Academic Goal
Learn something new.
In this instance, I say ‘academic,’ but I don’t just mean that to be confined to a classroom.
In 2020, the USA had one of the most tumultuous elections in history. Maybe you’d like to learn how the electoral process works or, in a broader sense, how the three branches of government function and how policies are made.
You could even learn about international governments and how the US interacts with them. Or about the history of US activities around the world. Who were the founding fathers? Why do Russia and the United States have an adversarial relationship?
What if you’re already a history buff? Maybe check out information on how fitness has evolved around the world and what is considered healthy in other parts of the world!
(Sounds like something I might do, come to think of it and I definitely found a blog post by the guys over at Art of Manliness for this, if you’re interested!)
Or, maybe you are in a classroom setting and just trying to navigate another crazy semester, and you are already up to your eyeballs in things you need to learn. Look for ways to be efficient and effective in your studying, and then make some SMART goals about how you’re going to tackle your classes.
Related: 45 Simple Ways to Motivate Yourself Everyday
Go for Those Business Aspirations
I feel like 2022 is a great year to start something new that you’ve always wanted to do. And that something new could definitely include starting a business.
From what I could find, over 800,000 small businesses were started in 2020 in the United States, which is saying a lot considering how distressing the year had been.
Now that everyone is pulling a phoenix: starting to rise from the ashes of the hell we’ve all been through, now might be the perfect time to start that restaurant, or that hair salon, or whatever other business aspiration you have.
A lot of people suggest starting a business in a hobby that you love to do. I’ve also heard people who suggest the opposite as well. Personally, I agree with the idea that you should begin with what you’re passionate about and go from there.
Not every hobby would make a successful business, but if you’re persistent, the dream job you find in 2022 could be working for yourself.
Start a sticker business or a bakery that starts selling cupcakes (send me some, please!), or create a product that you’ve always wanted to see on the market. Turn that idea that’s been bouncing around your head for years into something physical.
2022 could be the year that your invention sells.
Businesses are like plants. You’ve gotta water it, give it the right amount of light and nutrients, and, at times, you might have to prune bits of it that aren’t working as they should, but once you’ve taken care of it and given it your very breath, it’ll one day breathe life back into you.
It’s hard work.
But it’s worth it.
Related: 11 Great Books to Read This Winter to Kickstart Your New Year
Help Others
Don’t hesitate to help others who are less fortunate than you this coming year.
There are many ways you can do that. Donating your time and resources is the best way, but in-person volunteering opportunities might be a little more chaotic right now as people may still be afraid to see others in person.
If that’s the case for you and you didn’t know, one socially distant thing you can do is ‘signal boost.’ For those who don’t know, this is when you help share and bring awareness to an issue, such as a charity, a fundraising program, or an issue of social justice.
By creating a video, writing about it, sharing stories on social media, or actually going out and protesting, if need be, you magnify the issue and make your friends and family aware of it.
If you want to get more directly involved, homeless shelters and soup kitchens need volunteers now more than ever, and most are being extremely careful to protect their workers and volunteers during these times. You can help organize events, such as Zoom events, fundraising programs, or protest marches.
Whatever you do, give it your all – so long as you accomplish your goal and are able to help someone who needs you, you can feel supremely proud about what you were able to do with 2022.
Plan Things You Can Control
If there’s one thing I’d like for you to take away from this post, it’s this.
Create resolutions that you can control. Outside factors will influence the outcome of whatever you do, but if you are the main influence of your goal, then you can come away having accomplished your list of great New Year’s resolutions, and you can feel good about that.
Don’t place stress on yourself after the year you just had. Unless of course, you had a great 2020-2021, in which case I am very happy for you. But I’m also curious how!?
If, again, you’re like me and the last two years were… “apocalyptically underwhelming” … then we can be happy and enthused about what we can and will accomplish in 2022.
So what are some New Year’s Resolution(s) you can control in 2022?
- Writing one thing you’re grateful for every day for a month.
- Making your bed every morning before you brush your teeth.
- Do a jump rope routine for 30 days.
- Researching your business idea, so that you can come up with a rough business plan in 30 days.
- Learning how to work smarter, not harder, by taking an online course about maximizing your workday.
- Spend time with your family once a month, even if it’s through an organized Zoom call.
Conclusion to Your New Years Resolution Motivation
Whatever your resolution, make sure you can control it most of the way. And if something comes up, be flexible! Remember, we don’t like disappointment, but disappointment is usually caused by expectations, not just by reality. We’re leaving that forever in a year like 2020! (The disappointment and the expectations, not the reality).
So, here’s where I bid you adieu.
You’re going to do great in 2022, I can feel it!
Breathe through the next few months, things are absolutely returning to normal. In the meantime, give yourself the headstart you deserve and focus on how you can help you.
Drop a line in the comments and let me know what new year’s resolutions you’re gonna try to hold on to this year.
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