Making one resolution for the New Year – just one

Many years ago, I decided to stop making New Year’s resolutions. This was because I either made too many or ones that were too ambitious. I failed with both types. And so, I rid myself of resolutions.

Which is a shame, as I’ve always found New Year’s resolutions to be meaningful and motivating – at least at the beginning. Provided you don’t make them out of habit because it’s «what everyone does», resolutions are a great way to finally get things done. I truly believe people need a deadline as well as clear starting point to reaching their goals. The beginning of a new year is the perfect time.

As a child and teenager, I was a real bookworm. But when reading became a (tiring) duty at uni, my love for books dwindled. Later on, working as a journalist, I consumed so much information every day, that I no longer felt like reading after a day’s work. Reading had become work instead of pleasure. Over time, this became a major frustration for me.

In order to change this and reclaim my joy of reading, my resolution in 2019 was to read one book per month. Twelve by the end of the year. There were times I felt I was failing. By the end of June (target: six books), I was still struggling with number four. But then the summer holidays helped me find my reading rhythm. By the end of the year, I had read 13 books. Since then, it’s been more every year. I’ve just finished book number 22 for 2021.

Less is more

Since then, I’ve made one resolution and set is as my goal for the whole year. This helps prevent failure setting in as early as January or February.

For the year 2022, I’m aiming to keep a diary for the first time in my life. I don’t mean writing a page by hand every day or recording everything that happens each day. Instead, my goal is to sit down at the weekend and recap the past week in a few sentences. I can definitely spare fifteen minutes each weekend. No excuses. What do I hope to gain from this? To live life more consciously. To be more aware of what’s going on around me and what’s on my mind.

You might be wondering how this applies to you? Why you should follow my example? It’s so you can look back after twelve months and say: mission accomplished. That’s why I recommend my method: make one resolution for 2022. I’m a fan.