Hello, New Version!

Speaking of New Year’s Resolutions, everybody knows one thing crystal clear: They’re known for being easy to say but impossible to keep.

I believe you’ve also noticed that, in real life, things either follow an upward trajectory or a downward trend. Let’s examine people’s commitment to their resolutions throughout the four seasons of the year, and a clear pattern emerges.

Four Stages of New Years Resolutions Vanished

I. Spring is a season of hope and enthusiasm, with people feeling motivated and over 90% actively sharing or mapping out their entire plans for their New Year’s resolutions. This stage can be called “Vigorous Hope.”

II. By summertime, around 70% of individuals have become silent about their resolutions, ceasing to talk about or post anything motivated on social media. I refer to this stage as “Into Quietness.”

II. Another 20% lose track by autumn, either exhausted by work or other factors, to the point where they can barely recall their initial aspirations. This stage can be described as “Easily Lost.”

VI. Less than 10% persevere into the winter season, striving to fulfill their promises despite inevitable distractions. However, the coldness of nature also dampens the enthusiasm of their New Year beginnings, resulting in the stage of “Barely There.”

Reflections on My Journey & Starting Life’s Experiments

I find myself among those who typically falter by the second season. By June, I often find myself reflecting on the gap between my resolutions and reality, realizing the time I’ve squandered on distractions rather than pursuing my January 1st goals.

This year, in February, I suddenly felt the urge to embark on a New Year’s resolution experiment with my life. It all began with a quote I stumbled upon online by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.”

Life is a journey of experiences, and while pondering the meanings of our lives and related topics, we sometimes have epiphanies like this. It happened while I was contemplating how to build my tribe on Instagram and what I could offer my followers. That’s when I reached a conclusion—I want to be someone brave enough to experiment with my own life.

I know even my closest friends think it’s stupid and a waste of time and energy when I try different things. For example, I practiced Ukulele years ago, I enjoy skateboarding, I tried painting, tennis, and so forth. But once, a friend teased me, asking, “What’s the point of doing all those things if you’re not talented at any of them? You haven’t achieved anything remarkable in any of it.” I didn’t have an excuse to retort, and I felt hurt in that moment, of course. But I didn’t give up my lifestyle of experimenting with various events and hobbies.

Finally, last Christmas Eve, when I completed my first half-marathon, I felt immensely proud of myself. Although I didn’t achieve an impressive time in finishing the race, I deeply felt that I was enjoying my life. That moment of living was truly worth it. My experiments with life are not about being the best but about living life as I truly enjoy it. That’s exactly why I want to share and record my New Year’s resolutions for 2024. I understand that probably nobody will care about what I did or will become, but I have a gut feeling about myself—I need to write down what matters to me first, and then I can muster the extra energy to try to influence or shape my tribe in this world.

Okay, I’ve shared too much nonsense. Let’s get back to New Year’s resolutions. I think the first and foremost important element for sticking to them is getting to know yourself better.

New Year Resolutions for 2024: The Three Trinities

It’s better to stick with around three major achievements. Too much can bring excessive pressure and lead to giving up easily. For me, I’ve concluded with three aspects in my life that I feel, if achieved, will not only bring happiness upon reaching the result but also throughout the process. I’ve named these the “Three Trinities” in my life: “Books, Miles and Matters of the Heart.”

Books: I am a regular reader, and I hope to find power and solace through reading. Moreover, my lifelong goal is to become a writer. Therefore, I plan to read 50 books per year, the same as last year. However, since I only finished about 23 books last year, this year I’ve broken down my yearly plan into monthly goals of 4 books and weekly targets of 10 hours of reading, which equates to 2 hours of reading per day.
Miles: I aim to cover more distance in sports like running and biking, while also prioritizing better health through power training three times a week. I’ve discovered a love for athleticism ever since I started running in 2019. I can feel myself becoming more active and embracing self-love. Additionally, I’m exploring new sports along the way, which is incredibly fulfilling. I highly recommend incorporating exercise as a pillar of one’s life.
Matters of the Heart: As a single lady and hopeless romantic, the absence of a significant other can be truly tormenting, and love has consistently been my top concern for years. I believe I need to write down my feelings to find ease. Writing has always been a source of solace for me, so I’ve included tasks like writing 1,000 words per day and updating my blogs for both English and Chinese websites in this trinity. Additionally, I’ve incorporated hobbies that bring excitement to my life, such as singing.

I handmade a graph, but since it doesn’t look good digitally, I remade the sheet for your reference. Personally, I find it clear and concise. I highly suggest making a New Year’s resolution plan according to your unique hopes and wishes in life.

Your Unique Resolution into Reality, Not a Sample Online

In order to deepen on this blog page, I conducted some online research and found lots of top-ranking content offering achievable ideas for New Year’s resolutions. I don’t like them! Come on, we’re all grown-ups; who needs cliché suggestions like “read more books this year”? Those suggestions aren’t helpful at all; you read them and then forget.

I believe New Year’s resolutions should be things you actually care about and can achieve from your own point of view. Don’t burden yourself with too many promises; starting with 1-3 major focuses is always better.

As you may have read in my other blogs where I record my weekly plans and checklists based on my New Year’s resolution for 2024, you can surely see the recognizing and sometimes frustrating adjustments towards the promises you made at the beginning of the year. We need to approach making our resolutions with a progressive mindset.

Once you break everything down into weekly to-do lists, you’ll have a better reason to wake up each morning. However, in order to maintain the stamina, here are a few life experiences I wish to share to help you achieve your resolutions.

1. It’s Okay To Go Off Track

Flexibility matters more than a rigid to-do list. Remember, you’re not a robot; you’re human flesh. There will certainly be days when you just don’t feel like doing anything. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; listen to your heart and body, and take a good rest. You should first build self-trust that you will always come back, rather than worrying while you’re resting that you won’t return on track.

2. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps to Achieve Each Day

Instead of reading for 2 hours in a row, I decided to read for half an hour in the morning, half an hour during the day, and 1 hour before sleep. Trust me, it’s such a relieving approach. You can always break your mountains into rocks and carry them piece by piece.

3. Review Your Resolutions & Consider Giving up or Adding New Ones.

Life is a continual progress; we grow each day. You may not see immediate results, but someday when you wake up, you’ll feel something different in you, or you’ll encounter an experience that has a huge impact on you. That’s when you might want to try new things.

It’s totally fine to not stick to one thing from beginning to end. Giving up is not always bad, as long as you’ve thought twice about it. For example, skateboarding used to be on my list, but after several training sessions, I felt satisfied with my skateboarding ability and wished to fill my life with something that excited me more, like learning to play the drum set.

What you need to realize is that you are the only person responsible for your own life. Don’t feel guilty or worried when you choose to explore a different path. Life is all about going with what excites you, and you’ll learn that not everybody gets excited by life’s turbulence. You are lucky to have the nerves for it.

Conclusion:

In crafting and adhering to my resolutions, I’ve found purpose and direction in my life. Each day is an opportunity for experimentation and growth, guided by my commitment to the three trinities: Books, Miles, and Matters of the Heart. I encourage you to embark on your own journey of self-discovery and fulfillment, crafting resolutions that resonate with your aspirations and values. Remember, life is not solely about reaching the destination that everyone seems to pursue, but rather about embracing the experiences along the way and continuing to explore with your own heart and mind.