10 Best New Year's Resolutions
Top Ten New Year's Resolutions
A good resolution is a system, not a goal, as I have said in another post. Pick from these any that you like.
1. Weight Loss.
Goals - Lose x pounds, fit in a size 2 dress, wear a 34 inch waist pair of pants.
System - Try intermittent fasting.With intermittent fasting, you consume fewer calories and burn stored fat. Eventually, you will lose weight and inches and this is sustainable. It is better to make this kind of lifestyle change than to yo-yo diet. The objective of a good weight loss resolution is sustainable weight loss.
2. Money.
Goals - Buy a lottery ticket every payday, Get rich quick.
System - Make budgets.
First, make a budget of where you spend money today. Then, make a budget of where you want to be spending your money. The first budget lets you see the situation you are in. No judgement. Be honest. You are the only person who needs to see it. The second budget is the objective for your spending. Again, be honest. Be realistic. It is much easier to do if you have seen the first budget already. It may sound implausible, but I have seen this system work for many people. Only a small fraction of people win the lottery. Get rich quick schemes only benefit a few.
3 Fitness.
Goals - Bench press my body weight, run for x minutes on a treadmill.
Systems - Join a gym. Become “a runner.” Walk after dinner (even better, with your spouse.)
What are you going to do if you meet a goal? Are you going to stop working out? If you adopt a system instead, you will make a positive change in your life that will bring benefits beyond your goals.
4. Job.
Goals - Work x hours per day. Get a raise to x dollars per year. Do what you love.
System - Attend conferences with like-minded people. Network. By resolving in a system-oriented way, you are making yourself more valuable to hirers. Focusing on goals may make you miss an opportunity.
5. Smoking.
Goals - Quit. Reduce from two packs per day to one pack per day.
System - Decide to quit. If necessary, use your health as an excuse.Any method can work if you have decided to quit smoking, even the cold-turkey method. A gradual reduction is the hardest way to quit alone. People relapse because they haven’t decided to quit.
6. Writing.
Goals - Write x pages per day. Get a book published.
System - Attend a conference of like-minded writers. Improve your writing environment, e.g. with a dedicated stereo or better computer, or new writing desk. Read, read, read.I am talking about systems that change the inputs. Goals change the outputs. Normally, I am in favor of focusing on outputs, but only as an EVALUATION, not a RESOLUTION. If you resolve correctly, the outputs take care of themselves.
7. New Friends.
Goals - Make x new friends next year.
System - Volunteer. Another idea is to consume your supplies for your hobby and go to the store to replace them. There is where you will meet people with common interests.
Again, the outputs will take care of themselves. Do what you like and new friends will notice your positive attitude.
8. Reading.
Goals - This is a lot like writing. Read x pages per day or n books in the New Year.
System - Join a book club. Subscribe to an online service. Audio books are available for the visually impaired from libraries and from services like Audible.
The systems will provide you with many reading opportunities. Do not be afraid to stop a book without finishing it. Life is too short to waste time reading something you don’t enjoy.
9. Sleep.
Goals - Get x hours of sleep per night. Snore less. Fall asleep in 10 minutes. Wake up no more than once per night.
System - Make it dark where you sleep. Make it quiet where you sleep. Exercise every day.
By focusing on the environment, you will sleep better. People differ in their needs. But again, looking at the inputs will bring better outputs. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about sleep.
10. Painting.
Goals -Paint a particular portrait. Finish x paintings per month.
System - Be a painter. Act like a painter. Improve your studio environment.
My advice applies to any hobby. You have to be a thing before you can succeed at a thing. You want to wake up and say to yourself, “I am a painter,” not “I will paint x today.”
Goals - Lose x pounds, fit in a size 2 dress, wear a 34 inch waist pair of pants.
System - Try intermittent fasting.With intermittent fasting, you consume fewer calories and burn stored fat. Eventually, you will lose weight and inches and this is sustainable. It is better to make this kind of lifestyle change than to yo-yo diet. The objective of a good weight loss resolution is sustainable weight loss.
2. Money.
Goals - Buy a lottery ticket every payday, Get rich quick.
System - Make budgets.
First, make a budget of where you spend money today. Then, make a budget of where you want to be spending your money. The first budget lets you see the situation you are in. No judgement. Be honest. You are the only person who needs to see it. The second budget is the objective for your spending. Again, be honest. Be realistic. It is much easier to do if you have seen the first budget already. It may sound implausible, but I have seen this system work for many people. Only a small fraction of people win the lottery. Get rich quick schemes only benefit a few.
3 Fitness.
Goals - Bench press my body weight, run for x minutes on a treadmill.
Systems - Join a gym. Become “a runner.” Walk after dinner (even better, with your spouse.)
What are you going to do if you meet a goal? Are you going to stop working out? If you adopt a system instead, you will make a positive change in your life that will bring benefits beyond your goals.
4. Job.
Goals - Work x hours per day. Get a raise to x dollars per year. Do what you love.
System - Attend conferences with like-minded people. Network. By resolving in a system-oriented way, you are making yourself more valuable to hirers. Focusing on goals may make you miss an opportunity.
5. Smoking.
Goals - Quit. Reduce from two packs per day to one pack per day.
System - Decide to quit. If necessary, use your health as an excuse.Any method can work if you have decided to quit smoking, even the cold-turkey method. A gradual reduction is the hardest way to quit alone. People relapse because they haven’t decided to quit.
6. Writing.
Goals - Write x pages per day. Get a book published.
System - Attend a conference of like-minded writers. Improve your writing environment, e.g. with a dedicated stereo or better computer, or new writing desk. Read, read, read.I am talking about systems that change the inputs. Goals change the outputs. Normally, I am in favor of focusing on outputs, but only as an EVALUATION, not a RESOLUTION. If you resolve correctly, the outputs take care of themselves.
7. New Friends.
Goals - Make x new friends next year.
System - Volunteer. Another idea is to consume your supplies for your hobby and go to the store to replace them. There is where you will meet people with common interests.
Again, the outputs will take care of themselves. Do what you like and new friends will notice your positive attitude.
8. Reading.
Goals - This is a lot like writing. Read x pages per day or n books in the New Year.
System - Join a book club. Subscribe to an online service. Audio books are available for the visually impaired from libraries and from services like Audible.
The systems will provide you with many reading opportunities. Do not be afraid to stop a book without finishing it. Life is too short to waste time reading something you don’t enjoy.
9. Sleep.
Goals - Get x hours of sleep per night. Snore less. Fall asleep in 10 minutes. Wake up no more than once per night.
System - Make it dark where you sleep. Make it quiet where you sleep. Exercise every day.
By focusing on the environment, you will sleep better. People differ in their needs. But again, looking at the inputs will bring better outputs. Don’t be afraid to talk to your doctor about sleep.
10. Painting.
Goals -Paint a particular portrait. Finish x paintings per month.
System - Be a painter. Act like a painter. Improve your studio environment.
My advice applies to any hobby. You have to be a thing before you can succeed at a thing. You want to wake up and say to yourself, “I am a painter,” not “I will paint x today.”
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