Anti-Resolutions | Things I’m Not Doing in 2024
If I objectively review 2023 based only on the goals I wrote down this time last year, it looks like a failure. I didn’t get the promotion at work. I didn’t read any more books than I did the year before. I didn’t reduce my screen time or hit my strength goals at the gym.
But when I look closer, I can see that I have achieved so many things that I didn’t even consider to be goals in January.
So, while I have constructed a broad vision of what I want my personal and professional lives to look like in the future, I’ve decided not to go into 2023 with any grand resolutions or expecting my life to change overnight on 31st December. Instead, I’m focusing on the things I won’t be carrying over into 2024.
So, here are what I’m calling my “Anti-Resolutions”—the behaviours I’ve identified that won’t serve me or my vision.
Setting a reading goal
I read to get lost in imaginary worlds, absorb beautiful prose, discover new writing styles and expand my world view. As soon as I create a demand for myself by slapping a numeric goal on my reading, I become my own worst enemy and crumble under the pressure.
Whether I manage one or one hundred books in 2024, what matters is not how much I read, but that I read at all.
I will be keeping a log of what I read and my thoughts, though, to help me remember what I’ve consumed and shape my future line-up—feel free to follow along on StoryGraph.
Forcing my body clock into a 9-5 routine
As I’ve discussed previously, I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, meaning that my body clock is out of whack with the societal norm. Now that I’m self-employed, it makes sense to lean into my natural circadian rhythm, work at the times I find myself the most productive and enjoy my newfound energy.
Using exercise as punishment
In Januaries past, I could expect to walk into an exercise class to be told we were going to “work off those Christmas calories”. As someone with a complex history when it comes to my relationship with food and body image, I can’t begin to describe how toxic this mindset became over the years.
In 2024, I’m only going to be doing movement that feels good, rather than exercising as a form of punishment for “eating too much” or “being too lazy”.
Doing it all by myself
It’s okay to ask for help. I know, I know—that’s nothing groundbreaking. We hear it all the time. But no matter how many times I hear this advice or even give it to others, I end up going back to my untrusting ways and trying to solve the next problem on my own.
Whether I need a physical hand or a sympathetic ear, I’m going to make a conscious effort in 2024 to reach out when the weight on my shoulders feels too much to bear.
Toning myself down
Since my ADHD diagnosis 18 months ago, I’ve been doing a lot of work to break down the mask that I’ve been building up since childhood to camouflage the ways I felt like I didn’t fit in.
2024 is the year it finally comes off for good. I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but by the end of the year I will be unapologetically allowing myself to feel deeply, shout about the things I enjoy and dress how I feel most comfortable.