If you're anything like me, you hear the word "Resolution," roll your eyes, then promptly move on to the next topic. The word "resolution" makes me feel like I'm under all kinds of pressure (and not like living in a world where the Queen/David Bowie classic 'Under Pressure' plays on repeat because that would be pretty rad). While juggling your day to day routine, family, your girls, billz, your job, etc., etc. it's daunting to add another "to do" to your life list. Let's take a different approach to resolutions for 2017. Ready? Let's go!
Are there things you’ve always wanted to do but never pulled the trigger? Of course. We all have them! Like…Travel to a particular far-flung or not so far away place? Record your grandma playing the piano? Just me? OK cool. Or go sailing for the first time and finally be #onaboat? Get that tattoo of a childhood cat’s name on your foot? If you’ve been obsessing forever about doing something for FUN – DO IT. DO IT NOW.
Instead of writing down super serious resolutions that, let’s be honest, never sound like much fun (and consequently never get done), why not mix it up and instead write down a list of things that get you super excited to do in the next year?!
Here’s what worked for me. First, you rank the areas of your life that are most important to you in order of importance. Then come up with specific goals in those categories. A few examples of categories:
- Family
- Friends
- Health
- Love & Relationships
- Mental Health
- Travel
- Money
- Home
- Fun
Once you have those categories in your order of priority, come up with a goal that fits that category that is SPECIFIC and MEASURABLE. Meaning, it’s the kind of thing you can check off a list. For real, girl. This list is all about YOU and being your best self this year according to what matters to YOU. Not what brands, magazines and everyone else tell you matters in life. What do YOU think matters?
Some examples from my personal list from last year:
Did a photo shoot on the beach for no reason (fun)!
Wrote my mom a thank you letter (family)!
Decided to hike more and take pictures of my feet wherever in the world I was adventuring (fun and travel)!
Some other things I tried this past year also include: Going to a music festival (travel)! Finally painted my bedroom a color I liked (home)! Opening an automatic savings account with digit and paid off my credit card (money)! Now that you get the idea rank your categories and make a list of 5-10 things you can do to enhance the most important parts of your life. Don’t forget to make them FUN!
Oh, and one more thing (get ready to have your mind blown): You are OVER 50% more likely to complete a goal if it’s written down. That’s all you have to do! Make some scribbles on a piece of paper, type it out in a word doc, write in in lipstick on a mirror, whatever floats your boat. WRITE IT DOWN. Even better, put it somewhere you can see it on a regular basis.
At the end of the year, you’ll actually be able to look at your list and see how much you’ve accomplished, and you’ll have made some pretty amazing memories. Plus the beauty is, by systematically checking off this 2017 “Bucket List”, those super serious resolutions you might have written down in the first place will probably also get checked off in the process because you’ll be paying more attention to what actually makes you happy and moves your life forward.
So cheers to the New Year; may it be full of FUN!
Kelsey Formost
As an only child who had to entertain herself a lot, Kelsey has always been a DIY fanatic! She grew up half beach bum in San Diego, CA, and half country bumpkin in Colorado Springs, CO. When she's not living the dream DIY-ing with Makeful, you can see her pop up on TV once in awhile on shows like 'Modern Family' and 'New Girl'!
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