Here we are once again in that week of time between Christmas and New Year’s where we are closing out 2024 and preparing ourselves for what 2025 has in store for us. I use this time to see how I did with accomplishing my 2024 goals and then move to setting my new goals for the upcoming year. Certain goals that I did not achieve in 2024 might get shifted to my New Year’s list. I make it a point to renew important goals that maybe I feel short on but still find important to continue pursuing, but also add new things to pursue to keep things exciting and interesting. Last year I wrote about 10 important considerations when making resolutions. You can find that here: https://ahealthydivorce.com/goals-resolutions-and-divorce/. In this week’s blog I explore the value of goal and resolution setting to help us to accomplish a more well rounded and balanced life and the different categories we might consider as we tackle this exercise.
Here are some categories for you to consider as you explore this year’s resolutions: (1) Finance and Career, (2) Mental/Educational, (3) Physical/Health, (4) Social/Cultural, (5) Spiritual/Ethical and (6) Family and Home. You can call them different names. You can take some of them off the list, or break them down even further. These are just some categories to consider so that you set goals that help you focus on the different facets of your life that are important to you. Let’s run through a few of them…
Physical/Health. This is probably one of the most common considerations around New Years. I am going to lose some weight. I am going to get back into running or join the gym or take up mud wrestling. Gyms are always the fullest between January and February. Consider setting some reasonable expectations that you can follow through with so that your failure to chase after your New Year’s goals is not weighing heavy on you as you move back into your sedentary lifestyle.
Finance and Career. This is another common focus in goal setting. How do we chart a path toward getting ahead? How do we manage to save money so we can live the lifestyle we want? How do we assure that we are a little further toward where we want to be with our finances than we are now? What do you want to accomplish and how can you realistically do it through your actions and habits that you will be committing to?
Mental/Educational. What will you do to put yourself in a better mental state? What new things will you learn? This is an area where you can really get creative. Is there something new and exciting you want to learn how to do? Are you an avid reader? What new books will you read for entertainment, education and growth?
Social/Cultural. What groups and organizations are you part of? Can you commit to taking on a bigger role, or joining a new group to better connect you with your community, or others with similar interests. Are you giving back to the community and making it a better place? Consider exploring your options to become better connected. It might result in many new opportunities.
Spiritual/Ethical. Do you have a spiritual practice? Are there things that otherwise bring your life fulfillment? It doesn’t need to be an organized religion. It can be getting up early to see the sunrise or getting out into the quiet of nature. How is your self image? Are you living up to the standard that you hold for yourself? Is there more you can be doing? Is there something that you might renew a commitment to so that you are happy and satisfied in your own skin? We all usually have things that we can work on to become the person we want to be.
Family and Home. I left this one for last, not because it is any less important, but because during divorce it is this part of our lives that is going through the largest amount of transition. We may not want this to happen, but if it is inevitable, then now is a good time to start thinking about where things go from here. What goals can we set to restore calm and peace in our homes? What does our adjusted family look like? What goals can we set to maintain and develop the relationships that will continue? What about the goal of getting things completed in a healthy way?
There are so many things we can focus on. What about growing our relationships with old friends who we haven’t gotten to see as much as we would like. What about traveling to see new and exciting places? What about learning to play guitar? You can Google New Year’s Resolution ideas and you can find a long list of options to consider as you put together your list. Once you have it together, put it in a place where you will regularly be reminded of it and set to work doing the things that you think are important for all the different facets of your life.
This week between Christmas and New Year’s is an exciting time where we get to think about all that we have accomplished in the closing year, let go of those things that maybe we didn’t quite accomplish, and then set to work envisioning what we want the year to come to have in store for us. Happy New Year to all of you!