How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions When The World Has Gone Haywire

The beginning of the new year represents a fresh start for many people. It’s a good time to look
back on where you’ve been and look forward to where you’re going. The start of a new year is a
great time to dump those bad habits and pick up some new, better ones. People have been
making (and breaking) new year’s resolutions since the days of ancient Babylon. While scrolling
through social media in January usually yields one post after another that declares “New year,
new me!”, it seems that many of us have dialed back the promises for 2021, especially by
comparison with previous years.

Resolutions?

Maybe you’ve decided not to make a resolution for this year because the likelihood of achieving
anything you set out to do seems slim to none. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent
lockdown foiled a lot of big plans last year, from career goals to destination weddings. The
ongoing crisis has made it difficult to set intentions for the future as there are so many mystery
factors in the coming year. It can be hard to plan ahead when your career or travel plans
depend on unknowns such as when a vaccine will be made available to the public or whether
we’re going to have another lockdown.

While there are many outside circumstances that are beyond anyone’s control, you can still set
resolutions for 2021 that are within your power to achieve. Instead of setting your heart on a big
promotion or on starting that travel blog you’ve always wanted to write, why not focus on
something a little closer to home? A realistic goal for 2021 can be to improve your relationship
with a partner, or to focus more on self-love.

Up the Ante in your Relationship

Choosing to work on your relationship with a spouse or loved one is a great way to bring your
relationship to the next level. Not only do you get to spend more time with someone you care
about, but you both get to plan out all kinds of fun ways to elevate your relationship. This could
include having romantic candle-lit zoom dates (if you live apart), making a commitment to
sharing more about yourselves with each other, or coming up with a list of sex positions you’ve
always wanted to try.

Sit down together and make a list of things you’d like to do together, and then make a plan. For
example, if you want to learn more about one another, make a list of questions you’ve always
wanted to ask each other and then take turns answering them. If you want to spice things up in
the bedroom, you can spend some time shopping for couples’ toys or lingerie together, and then
set a weekly date to give your new sex toys a spin.

Self Care

If your goal for 2021 is to work on your relationship with yourself, there are lots of great ways to
get started. You could keep a journal, treat yourself to a new sex toy, read a book on a subject
that interests you, or spend some time in front of a mirror and learn to love your body.

For example, you might come up with a list of ten books you’ve been meaning to read and make
sure your Kindle is always within arm’s reach. Or you could schedule a solo date with yourself
on a Saturday night, complete with scented bath oils and a new vibrator.

It helps to write down your goals and set concrete steps to help guide yourself to achieve them.
Post your goals up where you can see them and review your progress from time to time. The
past year certainly turned a lot of our plans on their heads, and the year ahead is full of
uncertainty. 2021 can be the year that we breathe fresh life into our relationships with ourselves
and with those we hold dear.

Guest Post by: MJ Alexander

MJ Alexander is a writer and artist from Toronto. She graduated from OCADU in 2007 with a BFA in Drawing & Painting.

http://snartha.net