Rethinking Resolutions

How many years have you failed to achieve your New Year’s resolutions? I know I certainly have many times. Or maybe you’ve given up on resolutions completely because you’ve never managed to achieve one.


For years, I failed at my resolutions. Here’s how it went: I’d sit down in late December or early January with a brand-new notebook and think about everything in my life that made me unhappy. Then I’d imagine the opposite and write it down as a resolution. Sometimes, I’d scroll social media or Google “New Year’s resolutions” looking for other people's resolutions and add to my list anything that sounded cool or worthy of social praise.


Once my list was done, I’d close the notebook and not look at it again until December when I’d inevitably feel bad for “failing” my resolutions.


This didn’t work for two reasons:

1. I was focused on what others valued rather than what I wanted for my life.
2. My resolutions were vague and lacked actionable steps to achieve them.

Here are some of my worst resolutions:

• “Make better eating choices” (2016, 2017, 2019, 2020) – “Better” is so vague. Better than what? If I made one more healthy choice than the year before, technically I succeeded, but that’s not what I intended. ❌ 
• “Eat salad” (2017) – I’m sure I ate at least one salad that year. Mission accomplished? ✅?
• “Use less social media” (2017, 2018) – Without a way to track progress, how could I tell if I succeeded? ❌
• “Explore career paths” (2020, 2021) – What does this even mean? Where would I start? I didn't do this either year ❌ 
• “Eat 95% vegetarian” (2021) – This definitely didn’t come from my own brain, and I did not do it 🤣 ❌ 
• “Begin dating again” (2022) – Without specifics, it took me until December to go on one date. Technically, I succeeded, but it wasn’t what I had in mind. ❌

So what does it actually mean to make a resolution?


A resolution is something you resolve to do. It implies both an intention and a commitment to action. Most people focus on the intention but miss the action plan. Instead of actionable goals, their resolutions are dreams.


I want to lose 10 pounds.


I want to find a partner.


I want to save money.


These are nebulous, lack personal meaning, and aren’t actionable. They fail to set you up for success because they’re missing two key elements:

1. They don’t reflect what you truly want.
2. They lack a clear plan of action.

So the answer to clear, meaningful, successful resolutions is to figure out what it is you want through building a vision, and then set actionable goals to build that vision. A meaningful vision acts as your compass. It’s what guides your actions and keeps you aligned with the life you want to create.


Once you have your vision, create process-oriented goals that let you experience your vision daily. Process-oriented goals make it easier to plan and track your progress. These should be actionable steps you’ll take to build the life you want. By the end of the year, you’ll have clear evidence of your growth and alignment with your vision.


Here are three of my goals from 2024 and what I consider big accomplishments!

• Strength train 3 days/week. ✅ How it aligns: Strength training is SOOO important for our long-term well-being and quality of life. While I’m still relatively young, I want to build a consistent strength training habit so I can prevent muscle loss and be able to easefully carry it into later years (rather than have to start from zero when I’m in my 40s or later)
  
  
• Complete my Master’s Degree and National Board Certification. ✅ How it aligns with my vision: I’m a purpose-driven person and am fulfilled when I get to help others. I am proud of the work I do and all the people I’ve gotten to help so far in my coaching work, and this goal helped me further that pursuit. I can’t wait to see who I get to support in 2025! 
  
  
• Read 24 books. ✅ How it aligns with my vision: Part of my optimal lifestyle and well-being is to watch less TV and read more, and I made great progress on that this year (and I still have room to grow 😅)—I read 40 books!  Through books, I got to learn new things, detach from reality, and give my eyes a break from screens.

These are really simple resolutions because I’m focused on building a sustainable lifestyle that aligns with my values and allows me to feel fulfilled and well EVERY day. These accomplishments are proof that I’m living an aligned life!


Align Your Resolutions. Transform Your Life.


When you align your resolutions with your vision for your life and create actionable goals, you’ll experience clarity, growth, and unexpected opportunities. It all starts with defining what you truly want and committing to the actions that will make it a reality.


These steps are simple but they’re not necessarily easy. It can be hugely beneficial to work through the process with someone who is trained to ask questions that help you uncover deep insights about what you want and what you can do to get there.


I am so excited to offer you my 90-minute Rethinking Resolutions Sessions for a huge discount as a gift for showing up for yourself this year. This is a one-on-one session with me to build out your vision for optimal life and well-being, set process-oriented goals, and put a plan in place to take action on those goals immediately. Then, we’ll stay in touch and you can reach out for support over the next 14 days as you start to take action, come up against obstacles, and gain new insights.


In this session, you’ll get clear on

• What it is you actually want for your life
• What you can do to make that happen
• A plan of action to make your vision a reality

Normally $297, this session is available for just $97 to help you start 2025 aligned and inspired. Click here to book your session.


P.S. January is a great time to do this because there’s a collective energy of new beginnings, but it’s also a time when the Earth is telling us to go within, rest, and rejuvenate. If you’re finding this article in the springtime or mid-summer or preparing for back to school season or steeling yourself before the holidays, NOW (whenever that is for you) is the perfect time to create your vision and some resolutions so you can live more in alignment with who you truly are and who you want to become in the next phase of your life. Let's rethink your resolutions now. Take this as a sign from the universe to dive into your vision and goals. Let's rethink your resolutions now.