I love creating New Year’s resolutions. It’s beneficial for me to take time each year to reflect on where I currently am in life, determine areas where I want to grow, and then lay out steps towards making positive changes. Like many people, I often fall off track on my yearly goals before the year is over. If I do get off course, however, I take the same item list and restart the next day, week, or month just to give the resolution another opportunity to be successful. The ultimate goal is progress and not necessarily perfection.
They key to accomplishing New Year’s Resolutions or any goals in general is to have clear and measurable objectives. For example, instead of having a target of “being more green,” have a more specific target of “remove all plastics from my shower routine.” This goal gives a clear direction and a more defined step towards the overarching desire to “be more green.”
Some broad desires I have for the year are to make my daily lifestyle more green, make my food intake more sustainable, educate myself more on green living and technology, get out in nature more, and commit more time and resources to actively helping out the green movement.
Here are my eight green New Year’s Resolutions for 2022:
- Avoid buying new clothing
I want to either wear what I already own or acquire new items secondhand (thrift stores, online secondhand shops, clothing swaps, etc.). This is a way to combat overconsumption and the itch to buy a new clothing item just because it’s a good deal. The year 2022 will be my third year having this resolution (and I’ve been on track so far)!
2. Make at least 25% of my food consumption comprised of local foods
I have never taken the time to analyze where most of my food comes from. I have especially never broken the food origins into percentages. For this goal, I will first need to track where my food currently sourced from and then I will need to take actions to reach my percentage goal.
3. Have a fully meatless day at least once a week
Though I am not vegan or vegetarian, meat is not a major part of my diet. With this goal, I want to set aside one day a week for me to intentionally focus on meatless meals and snacks. This would also be a great opportunity for me to experiment with new vegan/ vegetarian recipes!
4. Reduce my food packaging waste by at least 25%
Unfortunately, currently much of my food comes in packaging that is not easily recyclable, compostable, or reusable. With this goal, I will need to first figure out how much food packaging waste I have in my current life, and then seek ways to mitigate that waste. Some options for reducing food packaging waste are buying in larger bulk quantities, buying from stores that have container refill options, and buying from farmer’s markets and bringing my own food containers.
5. Read 5 books about green living
I want to read more books, period. In my efforts to be more educated on green lifestyles and options, I look towards books (especially eBooks, books from libraries, or items from book swaps).
6. Go on a hike/ do something outdoorsy at least once a month
I don’t currently live near a bountiful selection of hiking trails, but I love to get out in nature and remember what life is like beyond the walls of my house or the city scape. Sometimes we need to take a moment out of our busy lives to appreciate nature. This activity especially meshes well with my desire to do more outdoor rock climbing.
7. Donate to a charity or do green volunteer work at least once a month
I admittedly am not doing enough on this front currently. There are email lists and online communities that provide information on how to get involved in environmental volunteering locally, whether it be for trash cleanups or community garden help. There are also numerous charities that are committed to helping the planet or the green movement. However, I must do research to make sure these are reputable charities that are transparent about how the money is used.
10. Contact local, state, or federal representatives about my concerns about climate change at least five times
There cannot be systemic environmental progress without efforts from the government. They need to hear that the citizens are concerned about the state of the planet and about climate change. Some ways to contact these representatives are phone, email, or public counsel meetings.
As the year progresses, I may realize that I am over or underestimating what I’m capable of accomplishing in a year. I’m sure as I grow in my green journey both in knowledge and experience, I may have to re-evaluate some of these resolutions. What is import is that I continue to make progress in the best ways I can.
