LETS SCRAP RESOLUTIONS - my 2021 Theme

Lets talk resolutions. 
Or should I say, lets SCRAP resolutions. 
Hear me out.

2020 has taught me a LOT. And by a lot, I mean it's taught me about how much we take for granted and how unpredictable life really is. This got me thinking about the expectations I had set for myself this year and how far off the mark I shot. 
If you're like me and all your 2020 resolutions went out the window, just remember that it is totally ok. You've been surviving in a world full of unknowns. You've been learning to cope, new ways to evolve and a sudden life style change.  However, with 2021 on our door step we find the time for resolutions once again knocking on our door. 
I don't know about you, but I'm locking that door and throwing away the key. 2020 taught me that this whole 'resolution' period has just been setting me up for failure. 
Why? 

Well firstly, upon reflection, I found myself making resolutions because I felt pressured to, not because I wanted to. I guess this falls into the whole heard mentality of humans, but seeing others share their resolutions made me want to share resolutions, even if I hadn't actually formed any smart goals to achieve them or chosen anything that really resonated with me. 

Secondly, my resolution choices were heavily influenced by what others were putting on their list. And they were unbelievably generic. Things like 'go to the gym', 'study', 'eat better', 'love myself' are all examples of resolutions I have previously set for myself. What I never did was explore why or what I actually wanted. Go to the gym? Ok girl, and do what? Do you know what you want to achieve? Are you going for mental health, gain muscle, loose weight or fun? Have you found yourself a coach to help you LEARN the information you need to do so safely? In hindsight I had no idea what I really wanted and I didn't bother to find out. 

Thirdly, I had no real motivation. Everything kind of just felt overwhelming and I had work or family or literally anything else that I wanted to use as an excuse. Does that mean I don't want to get fit, study or feel good? No. It just means that I hadn't found my how and way that would inspire and excite me. 

Does this sound like you too? Cool! Lets throw out our resolutions together! 
Here is what I propose to do instead. 
Lets set a theme for our year. 
My theme for 2021 in Gratitude and Growth. 

Setting a theme gives us a Heading to our year- something widespread and bold that is short and sweet that can sit in the waiting bay of your brain. It's something you can use to help guide your decisions, projects and ideas and shape them into something that will really benefit you. 

Once you've chosen your theme you can then break it down from there. You can pick your goals based off your theme, things that will bring you joy and purpose. These smaller goals are kind of like your subheadings, they're key points to support your heading. And with your Heading and Subheadings chosen, you can begin to fill in the spaces with your paragraphs of text. This is your solutions. 

If I've lost you here's a little overview. 

THEME (aka Heading): Gratitude and Growth

GOAL (aka Subheading): Study 

SOLUTIONS (aka paragraph): This is where I ask myself my who, what, when, where, why and hows. 

A years theme gives you a talking point to refer back to, something that you are passionate about and that you want to focus on. It is so easy to get overwhelmed with goals and tasks throughout the year that you loose sight of what your resolutions were. With a theme you can easily decipher if those goals, ideas or plans resonate with you. This way you can continue to set goals, adjust and make daily decisions that will actually serve you in the long run. 

Some fun ideas for 2021 themes: 

- Celebration (social settings, family events, birthdays, Christmas) 

- Family 

- Self Awareness or Acceptance (learn to say NO... it's good for you!) 

- Education

- Hobbies (dedicate the year to trying all sorts of hobbies and discover something new!) 

- Exploration 

- Movement 

The options are endless! 
Let me know if you're setting a theme this year or if you're sticking with your resolutions? 
I'd love to know about what your theme or resolutions are for 2021. 

Until our next Coffee and Chat; 
<3 Elise xx