9 things that are more productive than making New Year resolutions

New year’s resolutions don’t always work!
Probably most people you know make new year’s resolutions and they’ve been making them for donkey years.

Perhaps you’ve always made them, too and have at one point or the other found out that they don’t really work.

However, on the bright side we bring you seven activities that are more productive than making new year’s resolutions.

1. Read a Book: Instead of making a new year’s resolution that you probably won’t keep anyway, why not read a book? This can be anything you want it to be, but it’s a good idea to read a book that teaches you something new, and which is both inspiring and motivating.

2. Set Micro Goals: Many of us set these grand, ambitious new year’s resolutions that are hopelessly difficult to achieve. But instead of setting some colossal goal, set a few major ones and then set a few micro goals that will help you to achieve your bigger ones.

3. Identify What You Need More of this Year: What was missing from your life last year? Did it frustrate you that you didn’t get to spend more time with your friends or family? Whatever you didn’t get enough of last year, figure out how you can get more of it this coming year.

4. Make A List of Things To Look Forward To: What are you looking forward to in 2018? Perhaps there’s an old friend you’ll be seeing for the first time in ages, or maybe you’re going away on the vacation of a lifetime? At the start of January, spend a bit of time making a list of the things you’re looking forward to. This list can include small pleasures, such as a new music album or a book, and it can include the bigger things, such as a vacation.

Read also: 5 Christmas gift ideas for loved ones

5. Reflect on the Past Year: As well as making a list of all the things you’ve got to look forward to this year, take some time to reflect on all your wins and losses from the past year. What did you enjoy about 2017? What did you hate about it? What are the things you’d never do again, what are the things you want to do better? This kind of analysis helps to guide us through the new year so that we make better decisions.

6. Pick An Affirmation: Do daily affirmations work? Absolutely they do! While our brain is certainly very powerful, it only believes what it sees and hears. In other words, if you repeat to yourself each day that this year is going to be your year, your brain will start to believe it and will eventually do all that it can to make sure that next year is indeed your year.

7. Get In Touch With An Old Friend: We’ve all got an old friend we haven’t seen for a long time who we miss and can’t believe we haven’t been in contact with for so long. Now that it’s a new year, it’s your time to reconnect with an old friend who you miss. Send them a message on Facebook. Arrange to get meet up for a coffee and a catch-up.

8. Be Grateful: On new year’s morning, rather than make a bunch of resolutions, spend some time practising gratitude for the things you already have in life. What are you thankful for? What should you be more appreciative of?

9. Write A Letter to Your Future Self: Lastly, grab yourself a bottle of champagne and write a letter to your future self. Write down where you see yourself in December 2018. How do you want to feel, what position do you want to be in?
Then, spend the year trying to make good on your promises.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

 

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now