Claudia Snell's Personal Site

New Year No Resolutions

I don't have New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year when a lot of people make resolutions and goals. I didn't and I don't.

I know I did in the past but, like so many others, I would have some big goals and by February I was over it. Then I would feel awful and beat myself up. So I stopped setting goals and resolutions based on New Year's Day.

What I have been doing for the past few years is making goals whenever it makes sense to do so. I don't tie it to a date or a day of the week. That helps take the pressure off. Setting a new goal doesn't feel like a huge EPIC thing that defines a whole year. It's just a thing I want to work on.

The other thing I've been working on is adjusting my expectations, being more realistic, and focusing on making small, incremental changes for the better. No more drastic changes that inevitably don't stick. I work on small and manageable shifts that, over time, become new habits.

I know this doesn't sound exciting and may seem like I lack drive (or whatever). It's the opposite - I want to really make changes that I can sustain. The most important thing to support that is I don't feel tremendous pressure or guilt. As long as I do a little better each day, I've done good.

I have several goals on my list. I've been working on some for awhile. For others, I'll be starting work soon. I'm feeling good about my progress and am looking forward to what comes next.