Many of us start the new year with so much zest ready to take up many goals, dreams, and ambitions, but as the year gradually comes to a close, we start to feel less energetic and complacent. Then, when a new year comes up again, we go through the same cycle.
As the year comes to an end, I can bet you feel exhausted, and some of the New Year ambitions you had at the beginning of this year haven't been attended to. My thought about why this happens to most of us is that we set goals without much practicality, which leads to us planning so much and doing so little.
Now, how can you balance your New Year's ambitions with practicality?
First, you should begin the new year with a theme in mind.
Begin the year by asking yourself what you would like the new year to reflect, what kind of results you would like to see from your life at the end of the year, and how you want to feel throughout the year. Let's make this practical by using myself as an example. I want the new year to represent growth and transformation. So, by the end of 2025, I want to see that I have grown in the different categories of my life, and as I go through each month, I want to feel like I am becoming a more refined, elegant, and confident woman.
Next, you ought to find out what worked and what didn't work.
A common mistake most of us make is that we often jump into making New Year's resolutions without first reflecting on the ones set previously. During your moment of reflection, you should ask yourself the following questions:
What are some goals you achieved last year?
What helped you achieve them?
What are some of the goals you didn't achieve and why?
Were there some goals you set that you didn't need to?
Are there some uncompleted goals you wish to carry over into the new year?
Are there some of these goals you are willing to let go of?
Asking yourself these questions will give you clarity on what you need to focus on as the new year begins.
Think big picture.
With the theme of the year and your reflection notes in mind, you need to look at the year as a whole and ask yourself what ambitions align with what you would like this year to reflect.
Find out what is most important to you in this new year.
A major factor that overwhelms us as the year progresses is the number of goals or ambitions we set for ourselves that end up leaving us burnt out. I do think that 3-5 goals are enough to have for a year. I experienced burnout in 2024, and one of the reasons was that I started this year with so many goals in mind, and now there are so many things pending that I need to attend to. If I had been practical about them, I would have done things differently.
Ask yourself this: What is most important to you? And what are the five most important goals you need to achieve for yourself this year? This will help cut out the excesses.
Create your plans for each goal, break them into small bits, and execute them a day at a time.
To achieve all of your goals this year, you need good motivation. And to make this possible, you need to break down your goals into bite-sized pieces. As you execute them a piece at a time, you give yourself a sense of accomplishment that will keep you motivated to do more until each goal is complete.
Create a workable system that incorporates these plans in a nice flow.
Having a workable system keeps you consistent and committed to getting things done in both an effective and timely manner. There are some ways to create a workable system; you can adopt routines, you can adopt the use of tools like digital planners, reminders, alarms, etc. AI is also very helpful in creating good workflow systems.
Plan to rest, exercise, and have fun.
Don't go through any day without having an hour or two for rest, exercise, and fun. You can schedule this in the mornings or evenings, depending on your schedule. A little bit of fun or play each day will help you maintain an aura of positivity, which is needed to help you stay motivated throughout each day.
What are some mindset shifts you need to help you balance the new year with practicality?
Rest and play is not a waste of time.
I am Nigerian, and our upbringing taught us that resting is equal to being lazy, so you should always be seen working. It's funny how whenever one decides to rest in a Nigerian household, our parents always find a way to prevent that from happening. It's either they come up with an unnecessary chore, or they try to make your life miserable. Because of this upbringing, A lot of us unconsciously think that a period of rest and play is a waste of time. Rest and play help your mind function better and help to improve your concentration and alertness.
Less is always more
You don't need to begin the new year with many goals because it would only overwhelm you and leave you burnt out before the second quarter of the year. 3 goals are enough to begin the year with, and if you decide to stretch some more, 5 should be the maximum. With less, you can focus more on offering value to yourself and to those you are here to serve.
Not all goals broadcasted online are for you.
Many of us fall into this trap of always internalizing other people's goals. We unconsciously set goals based on what others have on their vision boards because we think having those goals will make us look cool. What if that business you have on your vision board shouldn't be there? What if you need to focus on finishing school first in the new year, and then business can come later? Before deciding on your 2025 goals, you need to first ask yourself if it feels in alignment with what you ought to be doing.
Letting go of an ambition that doesn't fit anymore is ok
It's perfectly ok to let go of any ambition that doesn't feel aligned with your purpose anymore, and you don't need to feel guilty about doing this. You can start the year working on something, and if along the way it doesn't feel aligned anymore, you can let it go and do whatever feels more aligned.
Ambitions from the new year can be rolled over to the new year
Your 2024 goals can still be your 2025 goals and that is perfectly alright. You don't need to set new goals if you have not yet completed the ones from 2024. I know I said earlier that it's okay to let go of ambitions that don't fit anymore, but if they still fit, then stick with them to the very end.
Concluding thoughts
I will end this article by emphasizing again that less is more. This mindset will help you prioritize what is more important, avoid burnout, and above all, help you enjoy the new year. This new year doesn't have to be as overwhelming as the last, and you can make it work for you by doing what feels more aligned and letting go of what doesn't.
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