Sunday Reflections #3

On talking about New Year Resolutions…

Welcome to the Perfect Manifesto Sunday Reflections.

This post is inspired by the week note format that many professionals use to reflect on their working week, except in these reflections I’ll be sharing various observations from all parts of my life, covering a range of topics, in short snippets that don’t quite justify fitting a full post.

As covered in the name, I’ll be putting these out every Sunday I feel inclined to put down my thoughts.

What are my New Year Resolutions for 2024?

It become a tradition on for me to write a post about New Years resolution, but aside from a reflective piece that happened to be around events that happened to me on a new year many years ago, I didn’t bother writing anything to capitalise on this time of year, which might seem counterintuitive for a blog whose primary purpose is talking about personal growth.

This was because I didn’t have anything burning I wanted to say on the topic that I haven’t already said before, whether it’s:

setting resolutions you can stick to,
how to be nice to any resolutioners who’ve made the commitment to join a gym for the first time,
or advice for anyone looking to start a blog in 2024.

Instead I thought I would share my resolutions for 2024…

…

That’s right so far I don’t have anything new, that I haven’t been doing already.

Lacking inspiration I decided to have a read around to get ideas. From looking at many other people’s resolutions, I realised these could all be categorised into three types:

One: A simple statement of intent

These ways of how the individual intends to be a better person, for example “I intend to respond to negative people with kindness.”

A cynic could rightly say because of the intangible nature, that it’s easier to cop out of following through with the resolution.

If I was doing one of these resolutions I would keep myself on track by making the statement a daily affirmation, and keep accountable to excuting this behaviour change through regular reflection.

Two: Goal oriented resolution

Whether it’s losing 10lbs, or running a marathon, if it’s about getting from point A to point B, then your resolution is about goal focused.

If I was doing this, to achieve this I’d set out a plan to achieve it saying what I need to do, using a SMART action plan as guide lines to set out what I want to achieve, finally to ensure I continued the good that comes from working towards this goal, I’d outline some next steps to keep up the good habits.

Three: Lifestyle overhaul

This is about a whole system overhaul, changing bad habits into more positives, for example quitting drinking/smoking, or committing to starting a x3 a week workout schedule.

A resolution that looks at making these permeant types of changes, needs thought how you intend to achieve this.

I would focus on looking at the root causes behind negative habits, establishing triggers that can encourage good habits, and taking on positive hobbies/interests, and setting mini goals throughout the year that will help you adapt to this change.