5 Positive Personal Goals for the New Year

Happy new year everyone! Today is the first day I’ve opened my laptop in three weeks. That can’t be blamed on lack of inspiration or topics to write on (in fact I have plenty of posts lined up and even more ideas)- it’s entirely because of an inescapable feeling of inertia. My son’s winter holidays meant he was at home and wanted constant entertainment; Christmas and other holiday events took up further time before we left on a week-long vacation to Goa.

Apart from a hectic personal life, the current state of political events in our country further deterred my will to write.

As a lawyer, I am trained to see both sides of every situation and argue reasonably in favour of each side. As a writer, however, I feel it is my responsibility to voice my opinion against any form of social injustice. This glaring dichotomy ensures that I never take a strong political stance or make any political statements on my blog. However, the current situation of unwarranted violence and ridiculous stream of lies in the guise of governance, have really tested my resolve. I found myself in a position where I didn’t want to write about anything- every topic seemed too frivolous in comparison. This is the reason for over three weeks of silence from a blogger that is generally very regular with uploads and dedicated to blogging.

But, as they say, the show must go on. As my first post after this break, I’ve decided to outline some positive goals and affirmations for the year 2020. If nothing else, this exercise will help me ease back on track. So, in no particular order, here goes:

1. WRITE REGULARLY

This one’s a no-brainer for every blogger, right? But let’s be more specific. My round-up post on 2019 highlighted that I had a productive blogging year overall. But instead of being a constant stream of posts, blogging was spread over distinct periods of writing activity and recognition and other periods of lull. To counter this, I’m adopting a simple policy which I hope to stick to. Publishing one post a week is mandatory, even if it’s just a quick update on life, like this one. I’ll aim to write two posts a week and anything more than that number will be a happy surplus!

I’m restricting myself to 1-2 posts a week so I can concentrate on finally getting my novel written. My blog is my baby but throughout last year, it was used as an excuse to not begin a novel.

2. BE SELFISH WITH MY TIME AND ENERGY

Yes, I know this sounds awful but hear me out. I am an August-born Virgo which means that I have the excessive emotions and high-strung nature of a Virgo, as well as the fragile ego and creativity of a Leo (owing to being born in August). More often than not, I go out of my way to accommodate other people’s wishes and end up crushingly disappointed or hurt when things don’t go my way in return. This is entirely my fault and something that I have the power to change.

Hence, in 2020, I have decided to put myself first. My wishes and needs should be prioritised as long as they are not actively hurting anyone else. I would also like to be more honest with myself and everyone around me. Honesty may hurt in some cases but it prevents long-term distress.

3. BE KIND IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE

Having proclaimed my desire to put myself first, I must also declare my wish to be kind to everyone, to the best of my ability. Everyone deserves respect and understanding of their circumstances. If I disagree with anyone, I would prefer to take the high road and walk away without drama.

4. LAUGH LOTS, CRY LESS AND KEEP THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

As mentioned above, I’m an excessively emotional sort of person. This makes me a bit of a cry-baby, with tears spilling at the drop of a hat. Though the propensity to cry has decreased as I’ve grown older, anxiety and sadness continue to be problems. In 2020, I sincerely hope to alter this state of affairs by observing things in the correct perspective. Instead of reacting too quickly, if I just take a moment to calmly assess the situation, I’m sure I will prevent a ton of tears and mental stress. Hopefully, I’ll even see the funny side of the situation!

5. KEEP LEARNING AND GROWING

You are never too old to stop learning. I went through a period of immense growth in the previous decade, as I finished my education, lived abroad, married and gave birth to my first child. Here’s hoping the new decade is marked by further opportunities to learn and to grow as a person!

These are some positive affirmations I have set for myself for this new year as well as for the new decade. Have you decided some goals for yourself? I would love to read them- do let me know in the comments below! Please share this post ahead with anyone that may like it or find it useful.

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