Resolution Categories

The Holidays may have looked a little different for a lot of people this year, but there is always a familiarity when it comes to a new year. Lots of goals and resolutions are made with each new year. I think it can be beneficial to categorize your goals and resolutions. Bundling goals and resolutions for a whole year into one group can be overwhelming.

I have decided to have four categories for my goals and resolutions this year. Health goals, Financial goals, Work goals and an Others goals.

Health Goals are pretty self-explanatory and cliché, but still good to set. The gym is always packed at the beginning of the year and slowly empties throughout the year, but I still will always set the goal and try and meet it. This year my health goal is to totally remove sugar from my coffee, no soda, go to the gym 3 times a week, get better at golf and to drink 2 liters of water a day. With those goals I’m not exactly reinventing the wheel, but that’s what I’ve decided to do.

My short-term financial goal is to set a food budget for each month. I definitely spend way too much eating out, which is completely unnecessary because I really enjoy cooking. A lot of times I end up eating out because I don’t make time to go to the grocery store or make a solid plan for the week when I do go to the grocery store. Eating out at restaurants is important to me, because I like to support local businesses and I also like to get out of the house, so if I set a budget, I will just be aware of how much I can spend going out. A huge way to save when eating out is ordering water, which also goes into the Health Goals category so it’s a real win, win.

My work goals and my “Others goals” are a little more personal so I’ll keep those specifics to myself. Work goals are very important for me, especially while working from home during the Pandemic. Goals keep me motivated and reaching them keeps me excited about my job. The “others” category I’ve created is a way for me to make sure that I’m not being selfish and that everything I do isn’t just about me. I think there is so much fulfillment and joy that comes from doing things for others, so even when you’re doing things for others you are still adding so much to your own life. A friend recently told me about a project they did at her church that really stuck with me. This project was called “DIY (do it yourself) Weekend.” Members of the church would go into their neighborhoods and communities and do things for others that they could do themselves, no matter how big or how small. Whether it was cleaning up trash, helping someone with their garden, volunteering to babysit or donating money, everyone has something they can offer to help someone else.

At the end of this new year, I am hoping to that I’ve reached my goals. If I don’t reach every single one, I am hoping that by separating them into categories I can still more effectively celebrate and be encouraged by the goals I do reach. I’m sure we have all learn a lot about ourselves in 2020 and can use that knowledge to be a little better in the new year.