Are Resolutions Still a Thing?
The world is on fire, the future is bleak, and nothing means anything anymore. This year made it excruciatingly difficult to resist drowning in doom and gloom, let alone be optimistic. But even though we can't be certain 2021 will be better, I still wanted to take some time to set my intentions for the next twelve months.
Wear sunblock.
I’m lazy — my ‘skincare routine’ consists of facial cleanser in the shower, a spritz of toner water, and moisturizer. Some days, I can’t even be bothered to apply lotion to my body. And aside from beach trips, sunblock just isn't a thing. Time to change that.
Eat as little meat as possible.
I made the switch to imperfect vegetarianism in September of 2018, and I really liked it. From then through early 2020, I ordered from a vegan delivery service on weekdays, and the most meat I ate on weekends was seafood. While going full vegan isn't feasible for me at this point, I think being vegetarian at best and pescetarian at worst isn’t bad at all.
Less screentime.
Being stuck at home meant that most of my time was spent staring at a screen. After spending ten to twelve hours in front of my work laptop, leisure time was spent on my phone. Suffice it to say, my posture has suffered immensely and my eyes are always tired. The Screentime widget is now permanently on my home page.
More introspection.
I’ve kept a bullet journal since 2017. It’s a catch-all for everything — tasks, events, ideas, and observations. I go to town with stickers and washi. But I never write down my thoughts and feelings! I realized (after a series of emotionally exhausting events) that it’s detrimental to never step back and ask myself how I’m doing, and why. Let 2021 be the year I start taking myself seriously.
Transition to a capsule wardrobe.
After a recent closet purge, I once again found myself thinking about paring right down to a capsule wardrobe. And packing for my move to Taiwan forced me to really think about which of my pieces are truly both versatile and treasured. I think I’m at a time in my life when I’m ready to trim my wardrobe down for good and be more conscientious about the pieces I choose.
Buy secondhand when possible.
Since I’m coming from a tropical country, most of the clothes I bought are more fit for spring and summer. In building my fall and winter capsule wardrobe — and my personal style in the years to come — I want to make an effort to buy secondhand whenever I can.
Stop impulsive spending.
The holidays always spell big spending, and this year was no different. I recently purchased some big-ticket items in anticipation of my move, and also just because. 2020 was such a difficult year and I must admit I gave into treating myself more than usual just to spark some joy. Next year, I want to be more thoughtful about my purchases so I can finally save some money.
These goals aren’t just targets for 2021; I want them to guide my actions and impact the way I live my life. Actually, most of them are habits I want to start or lifestyle changes I want to make. Of course, all of them go on top of the smaller habits I’m trying to cultivate in my everyday life — like drinking more water, consuming less sugar, and saying ‘thank you’ instead of ‘sorry’. Seven is a pretty reasonable number, I think. Easy enough to remember as I continue to figure things out.
This year was soul-crushing. For all we know, next year could be worse, but I do feel a bit less anxious now I know what I want to bring into it.
