Well, it is officially 2018, which means people are (probably) walking around saying “new year, new me.” Typically, this saying makes my eyes take a dramatic turn to the back of my head, but this year I feel different.
I was never one to create New Year’s resolutions. January 1st was always just another day to me. A day in which I continued to live my merry life the same way I did on December 31st.
Maybe it’s because I’m reaching a pivotal point in my life or maybe it’s because I’m just feeling sentimental, but this year I am actually going to be a “new refined me.”
Sorry, for some reason “new me” just rubs me the wrong way; “refined me” makes me feel more elegant. After all, I’m not becoming a new person; I’m becoming a better, more refined version of myself.
At this time, I welcome you to take the steps to refine yourself this year. I’m counting on you to follow through with this with me, mostly because I need the motivation, so do whatever you must to ensure you will in fact follow these steps. Screen shot them, print them out, write them down, create a vision board—anything.
It would probably be helpful to set a deadline of when you want to accomplish each step. If you’re like me (a procrastinator), then one day you’ll look around and it will be June, and you will notice that you have not followed through with any of your “refined me” objectives.
My suggestion for the deadline appears at the end of each step. Feel free to completely disregard this suggestion if you think I am being ridiculous. Just be sure to set a deadline for yourself. After all, you know you better than I know you.
What do you want to change accomplish?
Here I am altering words again. I don’t like to think of my New Year’s resolutions as changing myself. Again, we’re talking about a “refined” you, not a “new” you, so instead of thinking about what you want to change, let’s think about what you want to accomplish this year.
Take out a pen and paper (or open the notes section of your phone) and list what you want to accomplish. This doesn’t have to be a long list; it just has to be a do-able list. You can always add on to it as the year goes on. For reference, here’s my list of things I want to accomplish this year:
- A healthy lifestyle
- Land a full-time job (that I love)
- Move out
- Blog often
- Make time for friends and family
It’s not enough to simply list the things you want to accomplish. If you just write a list down and set it aside, the items on the list will never become actual accomplishments. They will merely be a hope of what could have been. So, you must take the next step.
Deadline: January 6, 2018
How will you accomplish this?
Take your items, one by one, and create a plan of how you will accomplish each task. Some things on your list may be straightforward, and others may be more difficult, requiring multiple steps to achieve this accomplishment.
For example, let’s look at the first task on my list I want to accomplish—a healthy lifestyle. For me, this is not only physical (I know, I know. I will never be 100 lbs Julia again, but I do want to be able to go up a couple flights of stairs without feeling like I need Life Alert.), but also mental.
This healthy lifestyle means that I need to do the following:
- Create a workout calendar
- Make time to relax in order to minimize stress
- Ensure I am getting enough sleep (my doctor says 8 hours of sleep is extremely important, and I trust him)
- Eat healthy
I actually got slightly nauseous when I typed that last one, but that’s beside the point.
By sorting out exactly what you need to do to accomplish your tasks this year, you will become that much closer to actually accomplishing them. No more forgotten resolutions! (Cue the applause) You will become a refined version of yourself this year.
Deadline: January 13, 2018
Check in on your accomplishments
As the year progresses, check in on yourself and analyze your accomplishments. Are they still do-able? If not, how can you alter them to make them do-able? Did you accomplish something quicker than expected? How can you add on to it to make it a greater accomplishment? Ask yourself how you can continue to better yourself with the accomplishments you have already made, and how you can push yourself to accomplish more before the end of the year.
Deadline: Ongoing—check in often throughout the year; perhaps at the end of every month. Think of it as a reflection on the past month.
Trust me when I say that this year will go by faster than you think, so it’s best to get a head start. Take the time to sit down and focus on exactly what you want to accomplish this year—both big and small. By creating a map of your accomplishments for the year, you are 100 times more likely to follow through with them (statistic based on personal experience).
What do you want to accomplish this year to become a refined version of yourself? How will you stay motivated and on track to do so? Let’s encourage each other!
Your blog post inspired me (as it often does) to make a couple of resolutions! It was something about the word “refined” that made it seem more attainable. I have a post-it note on my computer at work with the word “Refined” written on it, it’s a subtle, yet in my face reminder of the changes I’d like to make. Thank you!
This makes me so happy, Kelly! I’m glad it inspired you. Great luck with your resolutions!