TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: MEET THE ANTI-RESOLUTION

TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: MEET THE ANTI-RESOLUTION

(read: how-to-set-realistic-new-years-resolutions)

Welp, it’s that time of year again! We’ve survived the holidays, but we’re just starting to notice that our wallets are looking a little bit thin…while our our waistlines are maybe feeling a bit thicker than we’d like. In the immortal words of Willie Wonka, we think: Strike that. Reverse it.

And suddenly, the internet is FULL of articles about how to set resolutions, tips for sticking to New Year’s resolutions and soooo much more! Get outta my face, internet! Fortunately, your friends at Kelty have a plan—the ANTI-resolution—and we’re gonna tell you how it all works.

REALISTIC NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS ARE STILL RESOLUTIONS

We’ll summarize the aforementioned articles, so you don’t have to read them. First, they’re going to cite the percentage of resolutions that fail (91%), and even give you a specific day on which your resolution dreams will die (February 1st). Then, they’re going to ask you do lots of stuff. Plan ahead. Tell your friends. Be specific. Be persistent. And most of all, be realistic.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think most of you are the unrealistic type. Like, nobody reading this (or writing this, for that matter) is gonna completely swear off cheese, or kick beer to the curb starting January 1. That’s bananas, bro! But from where we sit—in front of a crackling fire, bundled in our Bestie Blankets, BTW—even realistic New Year’s resolutions are still often about giving up something you love. And friends, that is just NOT how we roll.

OUR ALTERNATIVES TO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: THE ANTI-RESOLUTION

So this year, we invite you to try a different approach. Unlike realistic New Year’s resolutions, which might be something like “start putting 5% of my earnings in my 401K,” (ok not a totally terrible idea), anti-resolutions are about doing less of something that’s not currently inviting awesomeness into your life—so that you can do more of something that attracts awesomeness. Here are three basic equations for you to start with:

1. Less Half-Ass / More Full Send. Those are some major Dick Kelty vibes right there! If there was ever an idea that better embodied our badass founder, we haven’t found it. He attacked every task, whether it was testing the weight of a new backpack filled with powdered cement & dropping it off the roof or taking out the dang trash, with equal Herculean effort. Dude just didn’t have half-an-ounce of half-ass in him. And, as it turns out, going full send—even on the stuff that doesn’t fill your cup—often means you do a better job, faster. So you have more time to do the stuff you love.

2. Less Inside / More Outside. WE know YOU know that outside’s where it’s at. And we also know that you probably have a job and a life, and that both of those things require you to be inside lots of the time. But if you’re looking for easy alternatives to New Year’s resolutions, we highly recommend seeking every possible opportunity to get thyself into the great outdoors. Eat your morning oatmeal on the front stoop. Ride your bike to work. And when the weekend finally rolls around, roll those old bones out into the wilderness whenever you can.

3. Less Work / More Play. Sure, we work for a company that’s Built for Play—and sadly, not everybody gets to do that. Even though we spend a lot of time encouraging and outfitting your inner kid, we INSIST that you be enough of a grown-up to set some healthy boundaries around work/life balance.

Got a boss who texts you at all hours? Turn off your phone at 7PM. Losing your weekends to work-week spillover? Look for ways to work smarter, not harder. And when you’re feeling grouchy about the grind, kindly refer back to Anti-Resolution #3 and ask yourself: WWDKD?

And here’s the thing: those tips for New Year’s resolutions about being specific, persistent and realistic? They aren’t wrong, and they apply to anti-resolutions, too! So if you’re concerned about sticking to New Year’s resolutions in 2023, we invite you to make these three anti-resolutions your very own—with small, attainable milestones you can realistically slay.

Because deep down, each and every one of us is Built for Play.

For more Built for Play fun, follow @keltyusa on Facebook & Instagram.