Keeping New Year’s Resolutions Might Be Easier in 2021

Let’s rewind for a minute to January 1, 2020, before we knew that COVID-19 even existed. Take a minute to reflect on what your New Year’s resolutions were last year. You might realize that keeping some of your resolutions were actually easier during the pandemic.

Some of the most common resolutions include:

• Improving health
• Spending more quality time with family
• Being more responsible with your money          

While the pandemic may have changed how frequently we go to the gym if (we go at all), it is likely that you may have changed your workout routine to include more frequent exercise. Working from home may have changed your priorities a bit – now that you don’t have that commute it is easier to fit exercise into your schedule.

Cooking healthier meals is also part of the plan to improve overall health. Social distancing and limited dining options have encouraged people to brush up on their culinary skills. With more time on our hands, we’re able to take the time to prepare healthier meals and perhaps even lowering cholesterol and the risk for heart disease.

We were only a few months into 2020 when we were faced with the difficult task of adhering to a strict stay-at-home order. While this was by no means easy, it did allow families to reconnect and spend much-needed quality time together. Screen time might have increased due to COVID, but many of us put a new focus on family time – from creating family Tik Tok videos to putting puzzles together – there was a renewed commitment to truly connect with our families.

Many of us have found that our financial situations have changed because of the pandemic. With less focus on travel and the need for social distancing, many costly activities were eliminated from our budgets. In some cases, many of our friends and family found themselves making cutbacks due to the loss of a job or reduced hours.

If you’ve found that your budget cuts leave you with a little extra, consider helping others as part of your 2021 resolutions. Many local charities supporting are in need during the pandemic and have faced significant drops in donations.

There is no doubt the pandemic changed everything. But in some ways, it amplified some of our resolutions with an increased focus on health, family, and finances.

As you look at setting your 2021 resolutions, concentrate on the good habits that might have become a little easier to practice during the pandemic. You might realize that setting and keeping your 2021resolutions may really be easier than you think.