New Years Resolutions: An Opportunity to Learn

Halfway into the first month of the new year, we have had time to reflect on the aspirations we had at the start of the new year. Some resolutions we have kept going while others we have stopped. It’s important to remember that stopping those resolutions isn’t failure. Instead, we can use the experience of these different goals to reflect on ourselves and learn.

We can reflect on the truth of where we are at in our progress versus where we aspired to be. By understanding the truth of where we are, we can set goals that are more honest with ourselves and more attainable for our current level of growth. Similarly, we can look at why we haven’t maintained certain goals. Did we put too much on our plate? Did we forget about other responsibilities that would take priority? In learning why things didn’t go as planned, we can learn what factors to look for when setting goals in the future.

By having this perspective on our resolutions, we can take positive things from all of them – not just the ones we’ve managed to maintain. The skill and knowledge to build more sustainable systems and goals is a great asset for self improvement. This approach is valuable for other attempts at growth as well. By focusing on what does and doesn’t work for us, we can refine how we approach learning and overcome challenges. The key for all of this is to be honest with ourselves about our limits.