Resolve Minimally
Reflection is not something I do often. Unless I’ve done or said something embarrassing - then I spend way too much time reflecting. I have a planning personality, so most of the time I am looking ahead at what’s next.
I enjoy the end of a year because it’s a reminder to look back at what I did. For me, it’s usually looking through the pictures I’ve taken (I’m that friend). Sometimes it’s surprising to see a photo from an event that I thought took place more than a year ago. I’ll notice something that I didn’t realize before, like seeing a friend or family member more frequently.
This year, as part of my reflection, I got a pen and paper, and took some notes. I wrote down a few different categories of my life and underneath them I wrote at least one positive thing that happened this year relating to that category. For example, one of the categories was ‘relationships’. For that category I listed a few friends or family that I noticed I put more effort into connecting with.
Then I listed the categories again and thought about 2023. For most of these, I don’t know exactly what I want to do, and I don’t want to set a resolution that is so specific I have a high chance of missing it. Life can change quickly, and sometimes setting a goal makes you lose focus on the steps it takes to accomplish that goal. So for each category I wrote one word. My ‘Work’ category says: ‘confidence’. I started a new role last year and, of course, there are projects I want to accomplish this year, but overall I want to act with confidence in whatever I’m executing.
So, you may be thinking - how is this minimalism? The strategy of choosing one word for the whole year is a simple way of giving yourself a goal without being too specific or overwhelming. It can be tempting to set all kinds of New Year’s resolutions for yourself, then give up the moment one fails. This approach gives you direction while allowing for flexibility in the steps you take to get there. Which then allows for missteps along the way without feeling like you’ve failed. Did I go overboard by writing down 5 categories?…Maybe. Apparently I had a lot to reflect on this year!
If your instinct is to make a resolution based on one goal, like: don’t spend money at Amazon this year. You may instead want to choose the word frugal, if your reason behind that resolution is to spend less money. Life has a lot of gray areas, and you’ll be more likely to reflect back positively at the end of the year if you cast a wider net. Say there is an item you really need that is least expensive on Amazon, but your goal prevents you from buying it there and you end up spending more money. Or you decide to get the cheaper option and you feel bad for breaking your resolution, so your goal goes out the window.
In the spirit of life having gray areas, don’t be afraid to adjust your chosen word as the year goes on. It’s all flexible, and the point is to have a plan for your actions to reflect your goals. Take a moment to reflect on 2022, and everything you accomplished. What do you want this year to be like, and how can you distill that vision into one word? What is your word for 2023?
