Let’s be honest. New year’s resolutions have, let’s say, a bit of a troubled reputation. There’s a reason why the local gyms are packed in January, only to see many of those patrons head to their local Tim’s in February. People head into the new year with an (overly?) optimistic outlook, viewing the calendar flip as the opportunity for a fresh start. I know that feeling. All the same, I’ve got some goals for 2023 and I’m going to document them here for accountability. No take-backsies.
Get Better at Receiving Compliments
Years and years ago, I wrote about the concept of the humble elitist. I encourage you to go back and read that post, if you didn’t read it the first time around. At an intellectual level, I know that honest, good faith feedback — both good and bad — is incredibly valuable. Emotionally, I’m not very good at taking that feedback to heart.
As it relates to both me and my kids, I have a habit of deflecting or minimizing any compliments I receive. “Oh, your daughter is such a good reader,” some kindhearted person might point out. But, I’ll be quick to deflect by pointing out some of the challenges we might have with my daughter. Or brush off her reading as no big deal.
Myself, I have a complicated relationship with praise and validation. When I do receive it, say in the context of something I did at work, I instantly get imposter syndrome. I don’t deserve this and they’ll find out how mediocre I truly am soon enough. But, when I don’t get the validation I desire, I see it as further evidence supporting my feelings of negative self-worth. See, of course I’m worthless and the world knows it. This also relates to conflating who I am with what I do. The action or outcome may not be ideal, but that shouldn’t devalue me as a human being.
This kind of mindset is irrational and toxic, I know. So, as far as my goals for 2023 go, I want to learn how to simply say “thank you” when I get a compliment. “Thank you” is a complete response.
Worry Less About the Money
Saying “don’t worry about the money” is irresponsible and imprudent. That’s no way to adult, especially in an environment with a rapidly rising cost of living, rampant (over)consumerism, and unhealthy social media diets that keep reminding us how we’re not keeping up with the Jones Kardashians. Going all YOLO with your budget (or not having a budget at all) just doesn’t make cents sense.
A healthy amount of concern, if not “worry,” is necessary for financial stability. You should have a good handle on your numbers, know where you stand, and have a plan in place for how you’re going to achieve your financial goals, whether that’s saving up for a down payment or your children’s college education. However, worrying too much about the money isn’t healthy either. When you’ve got mutual funds in for the long haul, like retirement savings, checking on daily balances is doing no one any favors.
So, the second of my new year’s resolutions is to worry less about the money. What about record inflation and interest rates, though? Yeah, we’re fine. This is fine.
Have Something to Say (Before You Say It)
YouTube burnout is real. You might remember when several big-time (and not-so-big-time) YouTubers spoke out about the issue a few years ago. Influencer and social media content creator burnout in general is a very real thing too. This is especially true when social media algorithms clearly seem to favor accounts that post regularly. Daily or better if you can. When we obsess over views and engagement metrics, we don’t want to fall behind. I don’t want to “fall behind,” whatever that means.
So, sometimes I feel compelled to produce something even when I don’t feel like I necessarily have something of substance to share. While there is surely some value in “keeping it real” with regular, everyday stuff, that sense of obligation can be incredibly overwhelming. And, unsurprisingly, it’s the kind of thing that can quickly lead to burnout.
To that end, I want to be more purposeful or intentional with the content I share online. I’ve noticed on this blog, for example, that while I published fewer blog posts in 2022, the site received more traffic overall. Perhaps it pays to apply a similar mindset to Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and everything else too.
As Hasan Minhaj discussed with Colin and Samir recently, it’s about making quality content as an “artist,” where you have something to say. It’s not about simply appeasing the algorithm because you have to jump on a trend and say something.
What Are Your 2023 New Year’s Resolutions?
Whether you want to call them new year’s resolutions or not, what are some of your goals for 2023? I realize that the three goals I laid out above aren’t exactly S.M.A.R.T. and I’m okay with that. I just hope I’m a bit more successful with them this time around, as my goals in 2022 didn’t exactly work out as I had hoped.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks