If no one’s told you lately, we are here to let you know that you’re doing a great job and you have so much to be proud of this year!

While 2021 sometimes felt much (MUCH) longer than 12 months, you prevailed. After all, you’ve been working on the frontlines during a pandemic while balancing your personal lives, family matters, and enjoying life as safely as possible. It hasn’t been easy!

Despite the ups and downs, we’ve all experienced growth in these rather confusing times.

Before we kick off 2022, we want to encourage you to celebrate your wins from 2021. You made it! That’s a win!

Here are some handy ways to see the progress you made in the past year:

IDENTIFY YOUR 2021 WINS

Take the time to go through the pictures you took in 2021. Pictures are fantastic visual reminders of everything you’ve experienced. Revisit photos that bring up emotions, good or negative. Celebrate your moments and honor how far you’ve come and what you’ve been through.
Try some gratitude! If you have a gratitude journal, revisit the things that made you smile this year. If you don’t have a gratitude journal, try a guided gratitude meditation to try and identify what you’re grateful for.
Write a journal entry to end the year. What are you looking to accomplish in the new year and what are you leaving behind? Put your feelings on paper. If you created a journal entry at the beginning of 2021, what are the biggest differences you see?

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU “FAILED” IN 2021

Reframe your mindset. Remember that life is not a competition. Life is a marathon and good things take time.
Identify shamed-based resolutions vs desire-based resolutions. Shame-based resolutions come from a desire to change things you don’t like about yourself. They apply unnecessary pressure and are about pleasing others instead of yourself. Shame-based resolutions typically start with, “should.” Desire-based resolutions reflect your desires to care for yourself. They focus on self-respect. They help you build upon the best parts of yourself. If you feel like you failed in 2021, maybe you failed at shame-based resolutions — and instead focused on resolutions that were desire-based instead. Something to consider!
Focus on the process and not the results. It’s so important to think about your goals and map out the steps you want to take to get there. The learning process is important and gives us space to appreciate our hobbies, craft, and self. When we think about just the results, it’s easy to get lost in the fantasy of where we could be instead of putting in the work.

How to set goals and resolutions for 2022!

Set SMART goals. What are SMART goals? They’re goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. They’re also unique to YOU.
Revisit your goals regularly. Things are always changing. Give yourself permission to revisit your goals and adjust them based on what you’ve learned.
Write them down! If you have a planner, write down your goals resolutions each month. Put them on sticky notes in a visible area you visit a lot. It’s easier to think about your goals and expand upon them when think about them regularly. Plus you won’t forget you made them.

Need inspiration for 2022?

Medifast asked people what they wanted to focus on more in 2022. Here’s what they said:

Incorporate small changes into their daily lives throughout the year (58%)
Set goals that help build healthy habits (49%)
Celebrate small victories along the way (42%)

Keep Track of Your Wins

Have fun tracking! It doesn’t always have to be written in a journal. Choose something that makes you excited to see progress where you can hold yourself accountable. Do monthly challenges in specific hobbies you want to work on. For example, monthly photography challenges, where you have a visual representation but can see your growth.