Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, moving forward into the next normal seems…like a slightly impossible task. But we talked to women across all walks of life, who feel hope is on the horizon for 2022, and who are committed to reaching professional and personal resolutions in the year ahead.
That’s why their resolutions, lightly edited below, have been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and occupy a deep, meaningful place in their lives. Some are geared toward a better way of life while others want to improve the quality of life for loved ones.
Need a New Year’s resolution idea for 2022? Check out this list.
1. Work Out More, With a Specific Goal in Mind
“I am a 30-year-old, 12-time full marathon finisher, 11-time half marathon finisher who hasn’t completed a full or half marathon since fall 2019,” says Amanda Renkel, owner of Mae’s Miles and Music, whose 2022 goal is to run a race this year. “Distance running improves my physical health and greatly helps my mental health. With the pandemic sidelining all races I’ve now gone two years without running a race. This resolution is special to me because it means trusting myself to put in the work, committing to a race, and getting back in touch with the runner I was pre-pandemic.”
2. Launch a Business to Make an Impact
Dr. Pana Ninan is currently the chief pharmacist of a long-term care pharmacy, but her 2022 New Year’s resolution is to launch her own entrepreneurial business, called Functionally Fit Rx. The goal? ” It is a virtual practice to help driven mothers working in healthcare conquer their exhaustion and burnout by addressing the root causes,” she says, and the resolution is special for two reasons. “I went through this myself during my career and know I can empower so many women with the education and tools to thrive in both their career and as a mother. I also want to show my children that you can change jobs and pivot your career goals at any age, even if it’s scary.”
Ninan adds that she’s spent the past year preparing herself for her 2022 plans: attending masterclasses, enrolling in programs, listening to books and podcasts. “One thing the past 19+ months has taught me is how precious our time is,” she says. “If we want to make an impact, why not go big and start now.”
3. Bring More Personality Into Business
“My resolution for 2022 is to see more of myself in my business,” says Stacy Lewis, an interior designer and owner of Eternity Modern. “It’s often very tempting to chase clients around [but] I would like my business to reflect more of my personality, my interests, and my expertise.” She plans to take more opportunities to be a thought leader and share her expertise across different online platforms. “Putting myself out there will certainly feel vulnerable but I feel like more people will resonate with what I’m doing if I’m being open and authentic to them.”
4. Invest in My Personal/Professional Branding
“As a solopreneur in branding, I’m so busy working on other clients’ businesses that working on my own business falls down the priority list,” says Hannah Van Woert, founder and creative director of Meteor Street Studio. But she plans to change that in 2022. Her top priority? Investing in brand photography. “It takes a bit of vulnerability to get in front of the camera, but my overarching resolution is to have more confidence in my expertise,” she says. “It’s finally time to make this happen and I truly think custom photography will boost my brand image, taking my professional presence to the next level.”
5. Move to Another Country
“My New Year’s resolution for 2022 is to finally take the leap and move to Europe with my fiancé,” says Madison Enos, a copywriter at Maha Copy Co., who’s been admittedly living “
“the dream” in Hawaii for the past four years. But, “ever since the beginning of COVID, I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that it’s time to see the world,” she says. “Someday we’ll have kids, a mortgage, and a million responsibilities that might hold us back. But right now, it’s just the two of us in love. I’m ready to choose courage over comfort.”
And one more thing: At the start of 2020, an astrologer told Enos that she’d have a “life-changing adventure” starting in the spring of 2022. “I don’t know if I believed it at the time, but all I can say is I feel it coming,” she says.
6. Determine How to Achieve Ultimate Life Goals (Like, Have a Baby)
“My New Year’s Resolution for 2022 is to double revenue so my business partner can leave corporate America for good, and we can have a baby,” says Emyli Lovz, co-founder and head coach at Emlovz.com. “Doubling revenue might look like increasing the price of my service offerings, doubling the number of leads who convert to clients, adding new marketing channels, or driving more traffic to our website.”
Lovz says she started the year by outlining what was most important to her, which was a house (and backyard for her dog), a baby, and for her boyfriend and business partner to be free from his corporate job. “If I was comparing myself to others, my goal would be to make a $1 million in revenue, to get hundreds of thousands of social media followers, and to write a New York Times bestseller, but none of those goals bring me closer to the vision I have of true happiness,” she says. “If those things happen in the meantime, great, but they aren’t benchmarks for success unless they align with my ultimate goal.”
7. Pay It Forward and Become a Mentor
“In 2022, my resolution is to mentor an intern,” says Melanie Bedwell, ecommerce manager at OLIPOP, who says mentors over the years have guided her through the ups and downs of her career. “They’ve been a great sounding board when I needed to vent, as well as great inspiration for when I switched companies. Overall, they’ve been that encouragement I needed to pursue my goals. Now that I’m a little more established in my career, I’d love to do that for someone else.”
8. Take Half a Day Off, Every Friday
“My resolution for 2022 is to take half a day off every Friday,” says Kelli Mason, chief people officer at JobSage, who worked remotely during the pandemic, which she estimates saved her about eight hours each week in commute time. “I was able to accomplish most of what I needed to accomplish for the week by lunchtime on Friday, so I started planning lunches and happy hours with friends on Friday afternoons. It gave me so much to look forward to each week and helped boost my productivity. Even though we’re back in the office now, I resolve to hold onto my restorative Friday half-days throughout 2022.”
9. Travel, Travel, Travel
“I’ve been itching for a trip to some tropical land, so probably St. Lucia or Sri Lanka to release all the pandemic stress and start fresh,” says relationship expert Sameera Sullivan. “Something about even years gets me really excited, and my gut tells me 2022 is going to be a great year for my travel and business plans!”
Heather Taylor is the head writer for PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog dedicated to brand mascots. She been published on HelloGiggles, Brit + Co, Joy, Business Insider, and more online outlets. Find her on Twitter @howveryheather.
