Hey, guys—

Happy 2020. Happy January. Happy new decade and all that jazz.

Januaries are the one time of the year where people think they can start anew and actually get things done, which is true in one sense, but also not true.

I recently read a post that reminded me that every day is new. And that’s true. You never live the same moment twice, which means you can make resolutions for tomorrow. Next week. Next month.

That’s something interesting to think about.

Anyway, like heaps of other people today, I’m talking about resolutions, goals, and dreams.

Resolutions show you that you’re willing to commit

New Years’ resolutions have a reputation for being easily brushed off, dropped, and quit days after the year starts. They’re supposedly unachievable and ridiculously difficult. But difficulty aside, the fact that you’ve made a resolution at all shows two things: a) the willingness to improve and b) the willingness to commit. It shows that you know you need to improve and that you’re trying to find a way to do it. And hey, that’s pretty cool.

Next step: making goals

So you know you want to do something with your year. Except resolutions are kind of useless because they’re vague and don’t tell you how to check them off your to-do list.

I want to eat better.

I want to sleep more.

I want to do something better with my life.

If you want to make your resolutions more achievable, the next thing you need to do is to break them down into goals.

I want to eat better becomes I want to eat more fruit and veg which then becomes I’m going to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

I want to sleep more turns to I want to sleep 8+ hours a day which turns to let’s schedule my day so I know where my time goes.

I want to do something better with my life changes into I’m going to write a list of things that make me happy / things I want to explore which then becomes I’m going to put the things on my list into my calendar and commit to them.

Once you have a goal that seems feasible, it’s easier to commit.

Remember: goals are something you can measure. So work with numbers and you’ll find that things feel like they can actually be achieved.

Keep breaking things down if they still feel too big. If you want to write a, say, 120K word high fantasy novel in a year, break that down into 10,000 words a month. Then break that down again into 2,500 words a week.

Heads up: this isn’t going to be easy. Committing to something new is hard. Breaking old habits is hard. If things sail smoothly for you, that’s great! But also know that struggling is perfectly normal and that you’ve got this (side note: if you’re the type of person who needs an accountability partner, don’t hesitate to ask someone you trust / someone who wants to dedicate themselves to a similar goal).

Dream on

Okay, I had to put something down for dreams, and I think it’ll be nice to send you off into the new year telling you that no matter how old you are, it’s still all right to dream.

But me being me, I’m also going to tell you to dream practically, too. Indulge in those daydreams that will never come to pass, but also dream practically. Plan the steps that you need to take in order to get to the end goal. You’re alive, aren’t you?

So live.

That’s all for now!

What are some of your goals for 2020? Are you excited for this new decade? What are your thoughts on New Years’ resolutions?

Let me know in the comments below!

Make your mark,

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How to Get Yourself Excited for Anything