A different way to plan for the new year

This essay was published on Finding North on December 23, 2024. Subscribe to the weekly newsletter to get the next piece delivered straight to your inbox.

We are at that time of the year when it is natural to pause, reflect on the past months, and look ahead to the new year.

But to be honest, New Year’s resolutions don’t really work for me. Mostly because I know goals or outcomes really don’t motivate me. For example, I go to the gym consistently because I value well-being. I have no specific goal but honoring the commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The process itself is part of who I want to be.

Ditching new year resolutions

I suspect there are other people like me who are much more driven by the joy of the process than whatever promise lie at the finish line. If this is you, consider my approach to planning the new year that is rooted in identity/values. Instead of asking: “What do I want to achieve?” I ask, “Who do I want to become?” Then I design small experiments to help me embody those values.

If I want to lean into kindness, I might look for small, everyday opportunities to express it, like a spontaneous thank-you message to someone who helped me, or being more present to friends having a rough season. I do it because it feels right and aligns with who I want to be, not because I need to check a box or hit a metric.

A new planning framework

I think our current system is built for outcomes-driven people who are motivated by the end goal, and we see lots of resources this time of the year catered to them: resources/tips/tools for reaching and measuring their progress. And the danger is that people like us feel forced to use frameworks that will not work for us, and even worse, discourage us.

So, if the usual New Year's resolutions don’t resonate with you, consider this shift from an outcomes-focused to a values-based visualization of the new year. Then take small steps, rooted in curiosity and joy, to live into your identity.

If this idea speaks to you, I’ve developed a framework to reflect and plan for the year ahead. And I’m happy to share with you. Feel free to download and customise as you wish.

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