MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I know, I know... these posts happen at the beginning of the year or the end of December. However, the realisation hit me when we crossed the half-year mark, and the fact that I did not commit to anything significant left me sad and unaccomplished.

Very soon, we will be pulling down our Christmas trees from their hidden spaces, shopping for new decorations, gifts, and sweets, and making new resolutions again. Before the vicious cycle continues, with the blink of an eye, the year of promises has turned into another year of procrastination.

You move fast!

I made small resolutions this year. I started a few and stuck with a few. Let me share my dirty little secret. I wanted to:

• Learn a new language - Last year, it was French, which I continue to learn even now. I had aimed to start with Portuguese or Spanish, which I have not started. - NO

• Learn to play the guitar - Every year, I keep pushing this to the next year. I guess I will never will unless I take those small steps. Maybe buying a guitar will help me take the step. - NO

• Travel out of my state - Last year, I went abroad for a short holiday and loved it. I just returned from my holiday to another country. - DONE

• Document my last holiday - This has started but is still incomplete. - PARTIAL

• Write my second book - I have put this off for three years now and cannot get myself to continue due to lack of time, work and other activities I have involved myself in. Well, I started and had a few physical hiccups along the way. The book is a memoir which is very close to my heart. However, it makes me physically ill when I start to write. I had to stop several times before picking up from where I left. - PARTIAL

• To do something where I feel accomplished. - There are a few things I am doing that are in progress at this time. - PARTIAL

Here is what I managed to do so far. Some of these were not planned but just came my way.

• Enrolled for a course on Skill Arbitrage - This was a course I came across by chance and enrolled in February. Even though I think I am topping the class, as I see from my assignment scores, I feel I lack the confidence to put myself out there. So, even though I have partially accomplished the course part, I am still struggling with my confidence and ability to use the skills I have learnt.

• Learn a skill I could use to help others - Enrolled in a counselling program, where we are taught how to go out and talk to people who need someone to talk to or just be there. After another two sessions, we will be sent out to homes to help people in our community.

• I was selected to be a parish council member by the residents in my area. A parish council is a body of individuals who decide events and activities that the parish church organises during the month. I was sworn in along with many others from different wards in the area.

• Write, write, write - I have some writing projects I find myself engaged with most of the time.

  • Daily Flash - This is a daily reflection group that sends messages on WhatsApp daily. I have written five one-page practice reflections based on their requirements and have just been introduced to the editor as a permanent writer for this group. I think this was a true accomplishment, and I was ecstatic.

  • I was asked to write for the church bulletin last month. My learnings from Skill Arbitrage have not been entirely futile.

  • Personal blog - This includes my personal and travel posts.

  • My book - A couple of book ideas with one in the works.

• Pick up something new on the work front - I work from home and felt I needed to ask for more work. So I asked and got into a new role (Lead - Accounts) early this year. This is in addition to my old role.

• Exercise - I have always loved swimming. Having a pool in the colony, I decided to use this more often. I have been going down every once in a while, but I wish I could do more. I chanced upon this incredibly motivated group of ladies who are there to stay fit and exercise. I was pleasantly surprised at their resilience and have seen them give each other a subtle push to come down for a few laps. They do not engage in gossip and unnecessarily waste time. They are so engrossed with taking their set laps that it is an absolute pleasure to be a part of this group.

With a few months to go, here is how I plan to ensure I keep up with my 2024 resolutions

1. Set Clear and Achievable Goals:- Define specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound resolutions.

• Specific:- Clearly define what I want to achieve. (I guess I have done this)

• Measurable:- Ensure my goals can be tracked. (For writing projects like my book or blogs, keep a fixed hour of the day which should not interfere with work)

• Attainable:- Set realistic goals that are challenging yet achievable. Assess resources and constraints.

• Relevant:- Align goals with long-term objectives and values. I want to feel motivated.

• Time-bound:- Set a deadline for achieving my goals. This will create urgency and help me stay focused. I had kept a deadline for my first book and stuck to it till the day of publishing, and I wanted to be where I was.

2. Create a Plan:- Break resolutions into smaller, manageable tasks and set deadlines for each step and each item I want accomplished.

3. Stay Accountable:- For swimming, I do have a support group who will help keep me motivated and accountable. For the others, I should have an accountability partner.

4. Track Your Progress:- Keep a journal or use an app to monitor achievements and setbacks.

5. Stay Flexible:- Adjust the plan if necessary and, most importantly, compensate for the downtime.

6. Visualise Success:- Create a vision board.

7. Seek Support:- Asking for help for me is difficult. But I plan to get guidance from friends, family, or professionals.

I hope to be able to fulfil something from the list before this year comes to a close. However, I do not want to be too hard on myself if I cannot achieve everything I had initially planned.

If you are like me, I pray that you do the same. Do not be too hard on yourself.

Feel free to email me at jackie@jackief.com. I would love to hear from you.