What to do Instead of Making New Year’s Resolutions
This month, instead of highlighting the work of Jodi Akst Coaching (JAC) and opportunities available to you, I'm sharing my thoughts about how to go into 2021 prepared to make it a meaningful year personally and professionally, and how JAC is doing so.
Here we are. The end of 2020 is finally approaching. This year was filled with more heartbreak, fear, tough times and change than most years BY A LOT! It was also a year that gave us time and space to look inwards- to ask ourselves, "What really matters to me?". "Where can I find joy?", "How can I stay connected to the people who are important in my life?", "How can I reconnect to those who I miss?", "How do I want to spend my time?", and many more questions that we often gloss over during the busier years of our lives.
This leads me to the BIG QUESTION OF THE MONTH: "What do you want to bring with you into 2021 and what do you want to leave behind?"
That question is my version of a New Year's resolution. I am anti New Year's resolutions, in the traditionally sense. Those who know me might be surprised to hear that because I am a BIG believer in setting goals. Here's why I don't make resolutions. Typically, resolutions are about breaking bad habits or starting new habits. Great. I get that. Here's the thing, though. If you don't do the real work of understanding your current behavior, why you do what you do, and what the core reasons are for wanting to try a new behavior (whether that's stopping an old habit or starting a new one) it's not going to work. By January 31, 2021 the majority of your New Year's resolutions will be in the rear-view mirror. Studies show that only 8% of Americans who make a New Year's resolution actually keep them all year and 80% have failed by the start of February.
What do I recommend instead? Throughout the year, on a consistent basis, get really clear on what matters to you. How you spend your time is the #1 indicator of what matters to you. If it really matters, you'll make time for it. If it really matters to you and you don't make time for it, then you're either lying to yourself about how much it matters, or you need to let go of something else that doesn't matter as much to make time for the thing that do.
Instead of making New Year's resolutions this year, do a time audit. Take two weeks during your "typical" life, and write down how you're spending your time. (For real- don't lie about how many minutes you're scrolling through social media, etc.) What does the time audit say about what matters to you? What's missing? What can you let go of?
This applies for your professional time as much as it does for your personal time. A sub-audit of how you spend your time when you're working will help you see how you might be able to be more effective at work, find more joy on the job and/or reach your ambitious professional goals for 2021.
After doing a time audit of Jodi Akst Coaching in 2020, I was able to see where my priorities and my time were misaligned. This led me to set the following goal for 2021. 75% of our work in 2021 will be directly working with people or organizations who are working to improve our country's schools or to improve equity and access to opportunity for Black and Brown children. That's what matters to us. If that is what matters to you, we'd love to connect in the new year.
I wish you a happy New Year and may 2021 be a year of health, fulfillment, and joy.
Jodi
P.S. Shoot me a note after you do your time audit. I'd love to hear what you learned, and what changes you are going to make.
