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Jan7

Why I Set Mantras Instead of Resolutions

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I’ve always love the start of a New Year. I love sitting down and making lists of all I want to accomplish. (I also just love lists, period.) I used to make “resolutions” that I was going to to do X everyday and Y every month and never do Z…but over the last couple years, I’ve moved to a different direction in how I approach the New Year. No more resolutions. No more hard lines in the sand. Instead I set themes and goals. They’re more forgiving than resolutions (and giving yourself grace is important!), but I also find they help me improve in more areas than very specific I will’s and I won’ts.

2015 was Know & Grow Me; moving to Charlotte was a big part of that as was moving back to Winston-Salem. Growing my relationship with God was also a huge part of that. 2014’s mantra was Simplify. I did blog some specific ways I wanted to simplify that year but that mantra also helped me in so many areas of my life and helped me evaluate situations. 2013 was Thou Shalt Not Take Shit. 🙂 I focused on standing up for myself, speaking up, and asking for what I needed, both personally and professionally.

So what’s my mantra for 2016? My goals? I’m not sure yet. Usually I think about this days or weeks in advance of the calendar turning over, and December 31 arrived and then January 1 did, and it wasn’t until Meg asked what goals I was making this year that I realized I hadn’t even give it thought – and that was a HUGE realization that something had changed in me. I realized that instead of trying to change things or who I am or fix things or always make everything better, that sometimes it’s just okay to just be. To be grateful. To be happy. To enjoy the current state of life. And to acknowledge that I’m not ultimately in control; God knows what’s best for me and will guide me.

I still want to make goals and find a mantra…but I’m not stressing about it. And maybe that’s my mantra right there: Stress Less. 

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    6 responses to “Why I Set Mantras Instead of Resolutions”

    1. I have been following you for a while through Bloglovin. Your past year has (based on your posts) in a bit seemingly like mine. Todays post hit home. I have had struggles this past year and have tried also to get closer to God. That’s a story in and of itself. goals for the year: get closer to God, find happiness and keep it, stay grounded, meditate , find time for myself. If you need a “penpal” out there Im around….Continue to strive for happiness….Mantra for today “I am love”

    2. really appreciated this. have been enjoying these last couple of posts quite a bit. thanks for sharing! i also don’t do resolutions…i do “theme words.” last year: trust. this year: joy. here’s to 2016!

    3. Nice newsletter you sent out. A mantra for the year is a great idea. Nice that you are in such a good place that you aren’t burning to find that perfect mantra for 2016. Like you, I didn’t get my goals set by January 1 (or even now). But I have looked back on 2015. Last year I had some very clear health and fitness goals, and I got a lot of those done! This year is not as clear-cut, but looking back I can see that I made a lot of progress.

    4. I don’t usually figure out my word/phrase until a while into the year. I like this a whole lot more than resolutions! One year mine was grace > perfection – and it’s still my favorite.

    5. Mine for 2016::: Choose Joy. Chase Grace & I think I’ll add Stress less to that list ;).

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