$pent Millennial

Show of hands, who is still on track for your resolutions this year?

Did you miss a day at the gym? Me too. Luckily, that wasn’t one of my commitments. No, my “resolutions” this year are fairly… abstract, big picture. 

You can see the full breakdown on my post New Year, Same Me, Mild Adjustments, but in summary, the gist was a commitment to keeping routines, rituals and practices from the past year that had served me well while letting go of things that did not and intentionally pursuing new life-affirming habits.  

These new habits include: 

• More patience- with self, others and the universe
• Meditation- integration of consistent practice into my morning (and possibly evening) rituals 
• Accountability- to self, community and the universe

Now, that all sounds good- if a little “woo-woo” -, but what does it even mean? What does it look like? And- my favorite question- what are the next steps? 

As I have shared in other posts, I come from the field of education which has made me a fan of backwards planning & tactical action items that lead to achievement of desired outcomes to fulfil objectives. While I do subscribe to manifestation, the law of attraction and other “woo-woo” practices and beliefs, I believe it must be balanced with intentional actions and personal accountability for that which one does have control over. As such, I am a big fan of locus of control, focusing on internal locus of control and what parts of an equation are in my control that I might act on them to further advance that which I seek to achieve, manifest and attract. 

How do I assert control over my days, weeks and months, so that some 350ish days from now, I look back on the year with a sense of achievement over these pursuits? 

With such abstract pursuits, I must first define each so that there is a clear goal post to measure success – or less success. What does each of the aforementioned pursuits look like? What do they feel like? How are they to be measured? 

Patience: 

Looks Like- Maintained calm and composure in situations that would before have been triggering, a more relaxed and tolerant attitude towards inconveniences or other unplanned situations, delays, detours, etc. all of which will be reflected in more relaxed facial expressions and body language. 

Feels Like- A deeper sense of inner peace, especially in circumstances that would before have been challenging which will lead to more understanding and empathy to others, even in frustrating situtions

Measurement- Much of the measurement of this objective will be qualitative and be felt in changed feelings as noted above; however, it could be tracked quantitatively by defining responses, reactiveness etc through journaling or other means. 

Meditation: 

Looks Like- Dedication of a time and place in home & routine for daily (or regular) meditation practices. As time goes on, continued practice might lead to improved posture during meditation and in general. 

Feels Like- Regular meditation might result in increased feelings of calm, reduced feelings of stress and could lead to increased clarity and focus throughout and even patience (see resolution #1) throughout daily activities and routines. 

Measurement- Increased mediation duration, better focus when meditating, etc. These metrics and observations can be kept and tracked in a journal, habit tracker or app meant to track such activities. 

Accountability: 

Looks Like- Consistently met deadlines and fulfillment of commitments, potentially increased organization of work and living spaces – although, personally I am already pretty organized. 

Feels Like- A sense of pride and achievement in taking ownership of activities and responsibilities/ commitments, etc. Accountability could lead to increased self-confidence, a more positive outlook on challenges, flexibility and problem-solving skills as well as growth mindset. 

Measurement- Set concrete goals in various areas of life and track follow-through and completion for each task. Track other measurable outcomes such as project completion, times you say “no” to tasks and commitments you do not want (or need) to say ‘yes’ to (this is accountability to self, and often to others as well), or promises kept/ commitments fulfilled. Seek feedback from others – coworkers, community members, family, etc. 

Now that they are defined, how do I get there? 

Over the next few weeks, I will track my experiences with these pursuits and will share some actions and steps I take towards creating habits that integrate each into my days. I will share what is working, and possibly what is not. 

For now, what are your pursuits for 2024? How are they going? Whatever the answers, let’s remember progress over perfection and to be gentle with ourselves as we adapt into new goals, routines and habits. 

Happy New Year!