Does changing the calendar give you a flash of optimism or a feeling of dread that yet another year has passed by? Have you thought about what you want to do differently in the New Year? Are you the resolution-making type?
There are many reasons individuals choose the turn of the calendar as the time for making change. For one, the festivities of the holiday season have become a catalyst. Time spent with extended family members, or feeling a sense of emptiness when the holidays are faced alone can trigger a process of life evaluation.
Christmastime tends to thrust people into considering what’s really important in life. They might question what’s working for them and what isn’t. For instance, though a job transfer seemed like a positive move two years prior, the cost of such a move becomes obvious during the holiday season. Both comfort and discomfort can cause people to want to make changes.
Creativity Fosters Change
Also triggering change is the whimsy of the season. The holiday season is a time when silliness is not only allowed, but encouraged. The colours, lights and seasonal scents that waft through the air engage a person’s right brain, or creative side. Once the creative brain is engaged, new ideas are unleashed.
The dominating themes of the holiday season, as repetitive as they are, may drive home such an impactful jolt that a person is able to see things in a new light. They may develop a clearer picture of where they want to head in the future.
Fill the Winter Gap with New Goals
When a person discovers areas of their life they’d like to change, it’s vital they take note of them and create a plan of implementation. Soon enough the phase will pass. New ideas, if not captured, will dissipate.
The December holiday break is a good time for students and workers alike to regroup. January is about midway through a school cycle making it a perfect time for reflection and planning. January is a natural time to set new goals as new calendars are hung.
Resolutions Offer Vitality
Most people find they thrive on having new things to look forward to, be it a special holiday, a trip, a wedding, a move, or other special activity. After packing up the Christmas decorations and putting the gifts away, New Year’s resolutions and goals provide a person with the answer to what’s next to work on.
Instead of waiting for the arrival of the next special holiday, the focus can be shifted to self-improvement and the ongoing fight against time. It can be shifted to creating steps towards accomplishing bucket list dreams. It can be shifted to working on becoming a kinder, more thoughtful person.
Most humans are creatures of change and love ongoing improvement. The change of the calendar gives an extra kick to get moving. Setting new goals for the New Year can add energy to get through what is, in many cases, the bleakest part of winter.
What Goals to Set
Common resolutions and goals include quests towards achieving greater fitness, saving more money, quitting bad habits, adopting good habits, becoming more organized, making career changes, taking courses, and so forth.
Intentional planning will be important to make resolutions happen. A good place to begin is with envisioning the kind of life you’d like to have, or envisioning a certain goal realized, followed by identifying what needs to take place to make it happen.
The measurement of success may not be found in the achievement of set goals. Success may be more about having found the right goals that are worth pursuing. As in many things, the process can be as fulfilling and purposeful as the end result.
Why not spend some time dreaming about a few resolutions to make? Then plot some steps on your new calendar and use them to motivate you.