Who Do You Want to Be?

I love the start of a new year. It’s cliché, sure—but I genuinely love the hope and promise that come with it.

(As a lifelong Cincinnati Bengals fan, I feel the same way about football season. Every September, I’m convinced this will finally be our Super Bowl year. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t happened yet. But hope springs eternal, right?)

For many years, I made New Year’s resolutions—neatly typed out in Google Docs, because I’m an organized nerd. They mostly revolved around losing weight, working out, and saving money. And if I’m honest, they were pretty much the same list year after year. That tells you how well they worked.

Then 2020 happened. Like many people, I gave up on resolutions. But I didn’t give up on reflection. Every year since, I’ve still taken time to think about what I want for the year ahead—just without the pressure of a resolution list I’d inevitably abandon.

Forget the Goal. Focus on the System.

This year, I picked up Atomic Habits by James Clear. One idea hit me hard: “In order to achieve greatness, we need to ignore the goal and focus on the system.”

At first, I resisted. Ignore the goal? Don’t we need goals to achieve great things?

But then I thought about my own life. My biggest breakthroughs over the past few years didn’t come from chasing a number on the scale or setting a lofty resolution. They came from building systems—fueling my body with good food, moving in ways I enjoy, and showing up consistently.

Focusing on the process instead of the goal has been both sustainable and effective. I feel better, healthier, and happier—not because I hit a target weight or checked a resolution off a list, but because I built routines that actually last.

Every Action Is a Vote

Another line from Atomic Habits stuck with me:

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”

Read that again. Every action is a vote.

So—who do you want to be?

• The person who makes the same resolution every year to “get back” to their high school weight?

• Or the person who enjoys moving their body, eats nourishing foods, and feels good in their skin?

Becoming My “Future Self”

One morning not long ago, I realized I’d become the version of myself I used to picture years ago.

I always wanted to be the girl who worked out in cute clothes, loved smoothies for breakfast, and had a wellness routine. (Yes, basic af. This probably started back in childhood when I hated exercise, ate Reese’s Cups daily, and sported a JCPenney haircut that made me look like a founding father. Not exactly “wellness girl” material.)

But recently? I started my day journaling in my Five Minute Journal, went to Pilates, and made myself a berry smoothie—while blasting Taylor Swift. Sure, I was a sweaty mess and not the “cute and put-together” version I’d imagined, but still: I was living it.

How did I get here? Not by forcing myself into habits I hated. (Sorry yoga, we’ll never work out.) But by experimenting until I found things I genuinely enjoy: Pilates instead of yoga. Journaling instead of meditating. Smoothies I actually like instead of choking down bad fruit blends.

The Real Resolution

So instead of chasing another short-term resolution this year, I’m focusing on identity: who I want to become.

It’s not about chasing numbers or punishing myself with a strict program. It’s about experimenting, finding systems I enjoy, and letting those actions shape me into the person I want to be.

Because every action—every workout, every nourishing meal, every time I get up instead of hitting snooze—is a vote. And those votes add up to the person you become.