Resolutions for the new year can quickly become burdens. At ArtsHub, readers and staff alike have embraced a tradition of anti-resolutions.
The anti-resolution allows a more nuanced view of goal-setting. It acknowledges that you’re probably already doing pretty well. Committing to a simple sharpening of your strengths can have a profound effect.
Here are six anti-resolutions we encourage you to embrace.
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Broaden your cultural palate
You don’t need to commit to waking up before dawn and speed-reading a novel daily to hit an arbitrary cultural goal in 2025. Instead, set the intention to consume more widely. Read authors or genres you’ve meant to get to, but haven’t managed. Embrace the list of films that you’ve always been meaning to watch. Look at what’s on in 2025 and try an art form you haven’t consumed in a while.
Check out ArtsHub’s favourite books of 2024 to get started or the year’s best Australian audiobooks.
Take care of the boring stuff
Schedule a day or two to finally get your head around some of the more niggly bits of your job that you’ve been putting off. This may include figuring out your super, negotiating a pay rise or putting plans in place for tax time.
Sure, these are boring, but setting up routines early in the year can pay dividends later on.
Take time off and enjoy it
Creative and professional burnout has become part of the zeitgeist and plagues the arts industry. Committing to regular, meaningful breaks can have powerful effects on mental health, quality of life and productivity.
As Christine Long writes in her article, Why rest is good for you and your creativity: “In a work-dominated culture, where being busy is equated with worth, rest can become something we hope to get to one day when we have more time.”
Prioritise your creativity
Deep breath: we believe in you. This can be the year you finish that writing project, put your artwork up for sale or otherwise make progress on your creative project. But instead of making an outcome your goal, focus on prioritising your own creativity and making time for your practice.
Prioritise your own studio time and find sources of inspiration. You may start by looking at podcasts that can boost your creativity or examining the routines of some of history’s most famous artists.
Leave work at work
Taking a few extra minutes at the end of the day to trigger a ‘defrag’ routine is a powerful booster to mental health and productivity. Shut down your computer, turn the lights off and leave your office behind. Close your eyes, relax your face and body, and breathe for a few moments.
Separating work and home life can be tricky when so many of us work from home. In 2025, concentrate on separating the two with extra fervour to ensure a more peaceful new year.
