NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
In this post I explain the exercise I take myself through to set intentions for the year ahead that stick, and that guide me towards becoming more of the person God has designed for me to be!
HOW TO CREATE HABITS AND ROUTINES THAT STICK
Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something
Habit: a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up
Lifestyle: the way in which a person lives
These 3 concepts go hand in hand. We have to make a firm decision, or resolution, to build a positive habit or break a negative one, and the outcome of that decision to create or break a habit results in our lifestyle, or, the way in which we live.
How do we want to live? OR a more important question I think…Who do we want to be?
Because when we know who we want to be, how we live follows suit.
Once we have a clear vision of who we want to be, we are able to work backwards to figure out the kinds of habits the person we want to be would have. Then we can resolutely commit to those habits as it’s more about building an identity than a habit.
At the beginning of each year, instead of choosing habits, I choose the kind of person I want to become that year, which then leads to a deeper rootedness in regards to the habits/routines I will build and break.
What kind of person do you want to be by the end of 2024?
I encourage you to crystallize clearly the answer to this before you move into the methods!
Not only do I encourage you to write down how you want to build your identity this year, but as I go through the exercise below, do it in writing in real time!
Here is my method for building habits/goals for the year:
Choose a word for the year
I settle on my word through choosing a few options that resonate with the goals I have for the year. I then pray on those options and ask for God to point me in the right direction.
Can I say with 100% certainty that I heard God give me my word for the year? No, not always, but at least I asked and meditated on it with Him. I believe that means He’s in it with me no matter the word I choose!
My word for 2024 is FREEDOM.
I ask myself, “How does a person walking in freedom operate? What is their mentality?”
You can adjust the question(s) to suit your word if needed, but I find this duo easily applies to most words.
I list out my pillars and answer the above question in a general sense:
Spiritual- They have unshakeable faith in God’s plan for them and they don’t worry about what they can’t control. When people engage with them they experience a feeling of unconditional love and servitude.
Financial- They have or are on a path towards complete financial peace of mind. ie- They have a plan in place for building generational wealth, they have time control, and they successfully steward what they’ve been given with wisdom and generosity.
Relational- They are in deep rooted relationships that are safe and allow for vulnerable/difficult communication when needed
Health (Mental and Physical)- They have daily routines that keep them feeling and looking their best both internally and externally
Next question…”What are the general habits/routines that someone with the above identity would engage in?”
Spiritual- (I come from a Christian lens so these are just my personal habits, could be different for you)
Non negotiable daily time in the word and in prayer/quiet time with God.
Maybe church/small group/bible studies on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.
Financial-
Whatever habits create the outcomes you want in your financial vehicle of choice whether that’s a job, building a business, or both.
This will be different for everyone so I won’t give our specifics, but if you want to know what they are feel free to write me. I’m happy to expound on what is working for us. Some of it is very individualized, but a good amount of it is do-able by anyone.
Relational-
If you’re in a relationship with a partner there is intentional daily connection, maybe a planned date night on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.
We don’t have kids yet, but this would include planned quality time with them if we did.
Prioritizing time with those who encourage, build up, and are capable of helping/guiding us
Community building habits that get me out and around others on a regular basis- both in environments I’m familiar with and new environments (another one that is individualized person by person based on the outcomes you desire)
Mental/Physical Health-
Designated daily time at the gym, or however often works for YOU
Intentional eating - supplements/vitamins
Getting enough sleep
Regular sessions with a counselor, or as needed depending on the season/circumstances - sometimes I need this more, sometimes I need it less!
Accountability with mentors who pull us up in down times
After creating a more general list like the one above, I whittle down an extremely specific one for myself
This is based on my current season, time constraints, commitments, communities I’m already involved in, etc.
Once I have my list of habits built, I create my daily schedule with everything built into time blocks.
Maybe you don’t need this step, but if I don’t assign my non-negotiable tasks/habits specific time blocks, they will never happen.
I won’t bore you with the final product of what my mapped out days look like because none of it may apply to you in your current season, but like I said above, if you want to see my plan with specifics, please write me. I’m happy to share!
2024 will be a breakthrough year for you if you choose to make it so!!
Final Thoughts:
It is unrealistic to think that the schedule I create at the beginning of the year will remain the same through December of 2024 or that there will never be variations. However, this exercise provides me with a strong foundation to consistently go back to and tweak as needed. This way I’m not repeatedly starting over.
Lastly, have grace with yourself! Take small steps at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed and paralyzed into inaction. Every little change counts and compounds.
I love you and am in your corner!
WE THINK YOU’LL ENJOY. . .
