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THEVOICE • rockfordchamber.com
January 2021
IGNITE: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
Rockford Chamber welcomes two new board members Lesly Couper, Chief Operating Officer, workplace Joel A. Prah, MBA, Vice President of Supply Chain, Mercyhealth Corporation
CARMEN BRENZ Rockford Chamber
Resolutions for 2021: Keep it simple
It is that time of year again! Cue the “New Year, New Me” posts on social media and the long lists of New Year’s Resolutions. Growing up, my New Year’s Resolutions were either super extravagant (I think one year, I had a goal of working on my cupcake business with my cousin and sister … I was about 12) or they were the same thing as the year before (eat healthy, exercise more). I have made it my own personal goal to not repeat the same resolutions that I have had since 2012. If you are in the same boat that I am, then you are in luck! I did some looking into some resolutions and found a list of simple resolutions and shared some below.
What Should My New Year’s Resolution be for 2021? Trying to improve your work life? Try the following: ■ Be more punctual - try to be early to every meeting you attend. ■ Talk to more strangers. Network more at events. ■ Make more eye contact during conversations. ■ Bring more to the table- speak up more at meetings Still want to achieve the “eat healthy/ exercise more” goal? Check out the ideas below: ■ Take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators. ■ Walk or ride your bike when you caninstead of driving. ■ Cook at home more. ■ No more late night snacks! Want a new hobby? Make it a resolution: ■ Grow a simple garden. Start with herbs. ■ Read a chapter a day in a new book or read for five minutes each day if you are super busy! ■ Volunteer more. Check out IGNITE’s
website for a list of volunteer opportunities. ■ Start journaling. Looking to meet new people in 2021 or to work on the relationships you already have established? Check out these tips: ■ Attend local events - virtual or in person (whenever that can happen again). IGNITE has virtual After 5’s and many other events that you can find on their website. ■ Give someone a compliment once a day — yes you can tell that stranger that you like his or her shirt! It may just make their day! ■ Make sure you have updated addresses and phone numbers of your friends and family! You will be shocked how many people move, and you did not know! ■ Start the tradition of having a family dinner — you define what family means to you! Now all of the ideas above seem like a lot to sort through. Keep in mind - these are just ideas, and you do not have to have a long list of resolutions. It is okay to just have one resolution, as this allows you to be able to concentrate solely on that resolution and actually achieve it. Too many resolutions could lead to too many incomplete resolutions. Another tip: You do not have to stick to the same resolution. Did you decide you wanted to take a daily walk, and your schedule just does not allow for it? That is okay! Find a new resolution that does work with your schedule! New Year’s resolutions have become so complicated and sometimes they add extra stress to your life. The point of resolutions is to improve something in your life. Keep it simple, and you may just find yourself actually achieving your resolution(s)! Happy New Year from IGNITE! For the full list of resolutions, please visit https:// www.kroger.com/health/wellness-your-way/ wellness-tips/101-simple-new-years-resolutions Carmen Brenz is event & program coordinator at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.
