It’s the new year, 2022! Like me, you don’t do well with setting traditional New Years resolutions. They are just not the positive self-love vibe we’ve all come to practice in 2021. I usually decide to make small attainable goals, include fun adventures, and keep myself open-minded and flexible with them. Here are a few examples of what I am setting myself up for this year.
Career
First, my goal last year was to settle on a career path and really root myself in it. I had so many interests and skills that I didn’t really know where to start. I found my career path by buckling down and creating a comparison list.
So, I broke down into three categories: What do I like, what am I good at, what do I want from life. It was three long lists of just word vomit; I had everything written down, from what kind of house I wanted to have to the fact that I can dice an onion really fast. I started widdling it down to critical things and found that writing combined it all for me. There is room for growth, good pay, utilizing my creativity and skills, quality of life, and space for a family. It took a while to figure that out, but I took my first steps, and I will continue to.
Therefore, In 2022 I will be honing my skills. Meaning I will take my time to work on challenging projects, be open to criticism, and get over my imposter syndrome. These goals have long-term benefits, are open-ended, and will make me feel more secure in myself. I want to and can achieve these things whether I am mindful of it or not.
Happiness
Oh boy, what a big category. I always keep this one separate because I don’t think that my happiness relies on the work I do or the goals I meet. This is more of a check-in category.
With that in mind, I grounded myself in my growth from last year; what new things did I learn about myself, and how has that affected me? It’s a space where I can reflect, let go of the negative, and put energy into learning.
There is never a wasted experience if you learn something from it. For example: Did I finally try a Rambutan fruit? Did I like it? Yes, yes, I did. It tasted like lychee and mango had a baby, and I love that. Or, is my best friend from last year still around, or did we stop talking? No, she isn’t around. But, that’s okay because we grew apart and thats part of the adult experience. Now, I know how to better define what I expect from people close to me.
In short, New Year isn’t just a time to set goals; you have to check-in and make sure you define your values, your perspective and stay true to who you are.
Growth
2021 had considerable growing energy for me. I wanted to feel more confident as a person. Simple as that. Now, did I define steps to take to get there- you bet I did. I wrote out a few things I wanted, some specific areas I wanted to address, and hopes for myself. I did commit to trying therapy, and I love it. I wanted to feel more secure in my decision-making and not second guess myself, and I don’t anymore. I also wanted to root myself in how I want to dress, and learn to accept myself wholly. Did I achieve that, kind of? While I feel more myself, I realized that it is an ongoing process, and it’s okay to not feel it some days.
This year is going to be my intellectual growth. I would like to learn a new language, play more puzzle games, and engage in more scholarly conversations. Again, three things fit the bill: long-term structure, open-ended, and make me feel more secure in myself.
New Adventures
This is my last category and one that is optimistic and dreamy. It is okay if I don’t achieve everything. Last year I had something like: visit California, watch a hockey game, do an open mic night. I didn’t perform at an open-mic night and I didn’t visit California. But, I did go to a three-day music festival in Iowa, which is was new experience. While the specific goals aren’t necessarily important, trying new things is. This category is meant to find things I havent done yet and create the intention to.
This year I would like to: visit my family overseas, take a pottery class, finally try a ‘barre’ class with my sister.
Upkey and the New Year
Let me tell you guys something, this was a fascinating article to write, and I am so thankful I got to share it with you all. I hope that you were able to gain some ideas about making a New Year’s resolutions. I really hope you guys find peace and excitement in the new year, and so much growth and opportunity. Comment below on some of your goals and any questions you may have!
If you are looking for a place to start with your career goals, I can’t recommend enough signing up for our Career Creation Course. It is a great library filled with advice and answers about entering the job market. I WISH I had this tool a few years ago, and I am lucky enough to learn new things as we polish it for January 31st launch! If you have a career in mind and are looking for an internship, head over to our Job portal and get customized option results. Before you apply, stop by our Resume Scorer and make sure that your application will be seen by recruiters. As always, if you are looking for more advice, answers, and assistance, head to Career In Progress, where I try to address all the burning topics.
