No resolutions, just plans

I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They tend to peter out within a month, due to factors including a lack of planning, being made on impulse rather than with drive, or being too vague to actually fulfill.

I prefer plans. Plans can change. Resolutions tend to be all or nothing, which just makes it easier to fail.

“My resolution is to blog more” is a great example of a vague resolutions destined to fail. More than what? About what? When?

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

What helped me post more articles in 2020 (though that as not the aim!) was be sitting down at the end of 2019 and planning out as much of the year as possible. Not all the plans came to pass. Some series never started, others didn’t happen when I expected.

By the end of 2020 I was wondering why I hadn’t thought to write a year plan before. I found it to be a particular help when I was ‘stuck’ for an article idea. Looking at what I had planned, or what I’d already done, often led to a new idea or a different spin on something I’d done before. I’ll have a 2020 summary up soon, and a deeper dive into the stats to follow.

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

I’m doing my 2021 planning at the moment, leaning from last year’s experience at where to add more detail and where to keep things to just a few words.

If you’re sitting down wondering what 2021 will bring, I can only pass on some the best advice I received when making plans to do something new – also identify what you will be doing less of, to make time for this new goal or activity. Wishing to do something new without making time for it is a sure way to disappointment, planning or no.