Resolutions are questions you solve about yourself. What do you want to improve, change, or junk altogether? Everybody promises a better life for themselves. However, resolutions are notorious for losing momentum just a few weeks into the year, so the real trick is learning to stay consistent.
Important factors to stick to your resolution include a desire to change, a plan of attack, tracking your progress, and, of course, giving yourself a reward for a job well done. For us at SHOOR, we believe in the idea of compounding because doing something even for just 5 minutes a day can lead to great results if you add it all up. It’s not going to be easy, but what is life if not a series of challenges?
Here’s our simple list of 2022 resolutions you can swear by:
Health, Food, and Fitness
- Cook a healthy meal at least twice a week.
Okay, maybe once a week or however much you can handle! Consider healthy eating an investment for yourself – but that shouldn’t mean spending a fortune on food! Score your ingredients cheap through produce rescue missions like Session Groceries and Rural Rising PH and share the loot with a group of people. Recipes are, as always, readily available online.
For starter recipes, check out this online cooking class to learn basic Filipino recipes with Ally Madamba.
- Make time to visit your doctor, even just once.
Make use of that sweet, sweet HMO. Request for a complete physical exam to make sure that everything is working as it should. The great part is you only have to do this once a year!
- Try a new form of exercise.
There’s an endless amount of exercises to discover, you just have to find one that doesn’t feel like torture. Know what you like, do some research, and try it for some time before you finally decide you hate it. Rinse repeat.
Try out experiences like yoga, meditation, dancing, and more from SHOOR. Check out the full catalog here.
Career
- Set a performance goal.
Assess your situation. Do you like where you’re at? Is there any skill you’ve been meaning to learn or improve on? Do you feel like you’re doing work that’s aligned with what you want? Sit down with your boss, discuss your goals, and make plans for them together! (Or if you’re a freelancer, write down your goals and your gameplan!)
- Set time away from work.
The much-coveted “life” part of “work-life balance” is often heard of but rarely seen. Drawing boundaries should be a part of your 2022 resolutions because burnout isn’t something you can easily heal from. If you’re in a position where you’re in control of your own schedule, observe your most productive hours and set your working hours from there.
And to keep yourself from unintended overtime, try a post-work ritual. Go for a run or cook a meal – something that tells your brain that work time is over.
- Try productivity methods
More burnout preventative ideas: productivity methods! There’s plenty of them around: Time Blocking, Pomodoro Method, and Eat the Frog. The goal is to feel less overwhelmed by any task because we all know the only thing backlog provides is more stress. Ultimately, the key is to take things one step at a time.
Personal Development
- Start a new hobby/develop a skill.
The eternal New Year’s resolution. No matter if it’s knitting, coding, or learning a new instrument, the important thing to remember is that you have to believe in the magic of compounding. If you’re really determined to follow through, make a lesson plan and promise to practice for a set amount of time every day. (There are also platforms like Skillshare that provide the entire course for you).
Need some inspiration? Check out SHOOR’s full catalog of experiences here.
- Read more books.
This is another eternal promise that never comes to fruition. Reading is for everybody, but there’s a right format for every person (if you ignore the purists) – some like audiobooks, others prefer e-books, and there are those who’d still choose the classic physical page-turner. The type of stories shouldn’t matter either, and freeing yourself of the mindset that you should only read “sophisticated” books is an absolute joy.
- Train your brain.
Get those neurons firing in every direction. The idea of keeping your mind sharp surprisingly involves mindless, inconsequential activities. There are lots on the internet, from sudoku and crossword puzzles to simple games like Wordle or more complicated fare like virtual escape rooms, which you can happily play with friends and family.
- Cleanse your feed.
No amount of digital detoxing will help you if you keep returning to the same old feed. Terrible reminders of the past, FOMO, and the need to keep up with unrealistic lifestyles can all go away with maybe 5 taps at most – thanks to Unfollow and Mute buttons (or Unfriend, even!). Removing people you don’t really know all that well can actually free a lot of space in your mind.
Additionally, if lessening screen time is part of your 2022 resolutions, you can also set time limits on your apps for iOS devices and Digital Wellbeing by Google for Android devices.
- Hang out with your loved ones more.
Easy to say, hard to execute, but there’s always a way somehow. Even something as simple as scheduling a quick chat sesh should always be welcome. You can also add a splash of fun to your same old routines by experiencing new things together, whether through games or watch parties.
- Try new things as your 2022 resolutions.
Literally just that. Make a commitment to try something, anything new. It’s a little too easy to fall into a routine and settle into boredom which is why even the little things matter. Try a new restaurant, a new way of mixing your coffee, or a new way of organizing, now’s a great time to get creative! As the classic saying goes, “you never know until you try.”
Finances
- Make a budget.
The backbone of every sound financial plan is always a budget – and the best time to create one is now. Simply start by tracking your expenses for an entire month (or two) using apps or Excel or Google Sheets, and assess how you spend your money from there.
There’s plenty of advice going around on how to plan your budget, but you’ll be better equipped to understand and adapt only when you already have a clear view of your situation. If you already have a proper budget, make sure to revisit it every year to see if it still serves you well.
- Build an emergency fund.
The past couple of years should be all the reason anyone needs to build an emergency fund (but in case you’re still not convinced, try playing this FREE escape room).
From sudden illness to loss of employment, you have to do what you can to secure yourself from financial ruin should any unforeseen circumstance arrive. The ideal amount to save is normally around 3 to 6 months’ worth of income. Just keep adding even the smallest amounts to the fund and you’ll be surprised at how it will all add up.
- Increase your investments.
Once you lock in your budget and secure your emergency fund, it’s time to grow your money. Set aside some time to research all the different investment options your money can go towards. If you’re looking to focus on fixing your finances in general, just head on over to our guide to financial security.
I’m afraid there’s nothing else to say but good luck on your journey to becoming a better you. Remember, the trick to doing anything is to break it down into easy, achievable steps. If all else fails, well, I usually don’t make my resolutions count until Chinese New Year.
Which of these 2022 resolutions are you adapting? Let us know!
