Stick To Resolutions

Dixya Poudel

According to the Nepali calendar, year 2080 has nearly arrived. As such, New Year signifies new beginnings and a prospect of a more rewarding future. 

It is a time when we tend to reflect and introspect about our future while reminiscing about the previous year. How did we do this past year? Did we achieve our goals however trivial they may have been? Further, what did we learn from both our past mistakes and successes? Maybe we managed to get healthier shedding a few kilos along the year. 

But then some of us may have slipped in our health goals. We may or may not have had promotions or recognitions. However, we can all learn to do better the upcoming year. 

Our motto should be: The upcoming year will be our year full of affectionate moments, positive vibes and affirmative news in our personal and professional lives. 

New Year may however put a lot of strain on our psyche: Which resolutions to regard and which to disregard? Should we join a gym or simply carry out yoga at home? What about eating healthy and being nice to people in our lives or even to strangers?

It isn’t surprising that this time of year around gym memberships soars, eating healthy becomes a trend and resolutions are shared profusely and enthusiastically in the social media. 

The sad truth is that these resolutions tend to peter down once Baisakh gives way to Ashar and soon enough it is already quarter to a year. 

How can we then adhere to our resolutions when it so difficult to follow through them?

Firstly, we should set aside goals that we would like to achieve. It could be as simple as losing a few kilos or as daunting as starting a new job. Then these goals should be backed with values. 

When our deep seated values align with our goals, we become more motivated. 

These values are our personal compass that includes empathy, compassion, love, respect and honesty. For example, our goal of losing weight can be paired with values such as self-love and self-compassion. 

So the next time we catch ourselves taking a second helping we don’t denigrate ourselves, instead we pledge to sweat out calories on our fitness regime. 

It is important that we keep track of such resolutions. We can use a notebook planner or we can simply journal our highs and lows when it comes to fulfilling our goals for this year. If your goal this year is to read more, maybe you could join a book club in your community. 

If you want to excel at work, may be you could put in more hours with grit. Next, we can rope in our loved ones for a moral support. Integrating our personal aspirations in our social circles can strengthen relationships and friendships. 

Not only does it give us a pillar of support, it also makes us more attuned socially.  The best way to materialise our aspirations is to take the first step whether it is applying for a college or starting a new job. 

Creating resolutions doesn’t have to be daunting. By deep introspection, we can decide what we want to achieve this coming year and then we can take steps towards achieving them with a positive and encouraging mindset.