BABY STEP RESOLUTIONS
By Jane Dovidio-Gagliardo
Oh WOW…. here we are in 2021. How many New Year resolutions did you make? How many do you really want to resolve? Do or did you even make a New Year resolution? Well, I made a list of resolutions… I guess I can call this my Resolutions Wish List. LOL. Although I may not achieve them all I do, however, plan to work toward resolving several of them. The rest I will deal with in their order of priority.
So here’s my planning and preparing process. First, I prioritized my resolutions, especially the ones I really want to resolve. Then I take the resolution and break it down into baby steps because if I focus on the bigger picture, my brain immediately registers that this resolution is way too big to conquer. Breaking the process down into categories makes achieving my ultimate goal a whole lot more attainable. I give myself time to develop a plan that will enable me to gain a much greater chance of succeeding at achieving my desired goal. The ability to be patient with myself is an integral part of the goal-oriented success process. I’m a planner because over the years, I have learned that planning and preparing are essential to achieving any goal whether big or small. For this reason, planning has become a big part of my life. I dissect the bigger picture into smaller parts and work from there. I may save portions of my resolution until I have dealt with the smaller portions. Now the resolution doesn’t seem so unachievable or all consuming. This is when I put my plan into motion, and Boom resolution number one is accomplished. Now I’m able to move on to my next resolution.
The good thing about “resolutions” or resolve is that they do not have to be made only at the beginning of a New Year. As we continue our journey into and throughout the year, we will face new challenges that require resolve. And we must decide whether or not we will tackle them. In the process, we must all realize that we have the conscious choice of deciding what we do or don’t do. We have the ability to make a conscious decision to go for it or not. But whether we do or don’t deal with the challenges we face, in the year ahead, the one resolve we must always make is to be kind to ourselves. I believe that being kind to ourselves should always be put at the very top of our resolution priority list. Being kind to ourselves is the perfect and purest of resolutions to begin any year with. As we enter New Year 2021, we can always be kind. We all want to be treated kindly and deserve to be. So why not make that our collective mantra.
My wish for 2021 is that all of us enter into this New Year with kindness as our primary resolution and resolve as our ultimate outcome. I leave you with this very befitting quote: “What the New Year brings to you, will depend a great deal on what YOU bring to the New Year.” (Vern Mclallan) Stay Safe. Stay Strong. Stay Fearless.
I love the way you broke this down. In my 50+ years, I have never made a resolution. 2021 was the closest I came to a resolution and it worked
Great breakdown Jane. I personally don’t make resolutions but I set obtainable & challenging goals for myself. Good insights.