Ah, the Holidays. It’s a festive, frantic time full of good will, good cheer, family gatherings, travel adventures, and even proposals of love and marriage.
(And there’s a lot of scary fun involved on Halloween, too).
Of course, as Thanksgiving and Christmas pass and the year inches towards a wintry, cold close, they make way for a certain Holiday that’s eagerly anticipated and full of motivation and optimism to some…and roundly dreaded and derided by others. Of course opinions may also vary even more wildly, depending on whether you mean the actual Holiday…or its often ebullient Eve.
That’s right. New Year’s.
Of course, we’ve all had more than a fair share of challenges and frustrations over the past few years, so as the calendar prepares to flip over into 2022, it’s only natural to have some questions and concerns. It’s also commonplace to prepare a “to-do list” of hopes, dreams, goals, and aspirations for the new year. You might know these as “New Year’s resolutions.” You might also have experienced a challenge or two making them…stick.
If you’re looking for some ways to make your New Year’s resolutions last past just a few days or weeks into 2022, we have some Zillion tips for you. Not as in many, many millions of suggestions or ideas. But a handful of helpful strategies, ideas, and techniques from the jewelry insurance professionals here at Zillion.
Don’t Be Afraid to Dream BIG
We’ve all heard more than our fair share of “New Year, New YOU,” especially when it comes to gyms, health clubs, diet programs, and personal trainers ratcheting up their New Year’s marketing plans. But who’s to say it doesn’t pay to think and dream BIG? Whether you have your eye on running your first marathon or dropping down several sizes to fit into your wedding dress (or secure a better fit on your diamond engagement ring), you might as well go for it — and also consider confidently sharing your goal with friends and family, maybe even on social media channels. You never know, you just might find an extra ounce of inspiration to propel you forward into an exciting start to 2022…and beyond.
Break Those BIG Dreams into Bite-Sized Pieces
All that being said…it’s equally important to balance your idealism with a strong shot of realism. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And it takes quite a bit of time for diamonds to crystallize within the earth. You get the picture. So once you have your resolutions and goals firmly in place (it might help you to write them down on paper now), start taking small yet sure steps toward that finish line out on the horizon. Keep an eye out for anything that seems like a “sure thing” — and do your best to break big, difficult tasks down into smaller items whenever possible. Remember, you have to start somewhere. So don’t strut into the gym and try to break the in-house bench press record on Day One. OUCH!
Make a Commitment to Change
Remember where we talked about sharing your resolutions, goals and “change plans” with family, friends and pseudo-friends on social media? You really should do that. No matter how strong, driven, disciplined, or stubborn an individual you may be, you’re only one man or woman. And major changes involve certain moments, days, maybe even weeks or months where you’re bound to find yourself “hitting a wall” here and there. In a gym setting, this is where a personal trainer adds real value. The same goes with support people in other settings. If social media is a big part of your life, maybe consider creating a separate Facebook page or Instagram account that’s entirely devoted to your growth process or journey — unless your resolution is to spend less time on social media in 2022. Then, maybe this isn’t the best idea (although you might use social media to help you find lost jewelry). If you’re really seeking motivation and rewards to keep on keeping on, you can even invest in some sort of medal or certificate at certain milestones.
Forget Perfection. Focus on Progress.
Remember, change takes time — especially major changes. There’s a reason we all know that saying that talks about, “If at first you don’t succeed…” So while it’s important to be driven, disciplined, focused, and committed, it’s equally important to take it easy on yourself now and then. You’ve probably known a perfectionist or two (or maybe you’ve lived your own life prone to perfectionism). Chances are, they don’t often seem too happy.
There are even books that cite perfectionism as a form of self-sabotage, which is really something when you stop to think (or really read) about it. Remember, any activity, any amount of effort, any stage of change or growth is better than stagnating or backsliding. If you do something every day to work towards your goals and resolutions, no matter how seemingly “small”…well, then you’re doing something. So take a moment or two to reward yourself in a healthy way at the end of the day. You might want to consider starting each new day in the new year of the new you by practicing gratitude, also.
New Jewelry? Get Jewelry Insurance from Zillion.
If one of your New Year’s Resolutions involves investing in new jewelry (or perhaps upgrading an existing piece or pieces), you should strongly consider an additional, related resolution:
Protecting it with engagement ring insurance or jewelry insurance.
Just like your bite-sized daily goals and activities, jewelry is small. Much like many a New Year’s resolution, it can easily be lost, misplaced, damaged, or even ripped away from you. The best jewelry insurance plans available protect against such scenarios and deliver a similar peace of mind to what you’ll find at the end of a day that saw you make solid progress towards your goals. Don’t just take our word for it, however. Read some of the many Zillion reviews available online right now. We also invite you to add regular reading of the Zillion blog and following us on the Zillion Facebook page to your resolutions list!
From all of the jewelry insurance experts and professionals here at Zillion, we wish you a happy, healthy, productive, and successful New Year!
