New Year’s Resolutions are so 2021…

From our founder:

I know that feeling of pride when you set a damn good New Year’s resolution on December 31st and go into the new year feeling like you can do anything you set your mind to… I also know that feeling of guilt when you mess up on your resolution on January 15th and feel like you have to wait another 11 months and 2 weeks before you can have another shot at it.

In true Finch form, I’ve had enough of the self-imposed guilt trip and, for the last two years, I’ve tried monthly resolutions instead. So far, it’s been a great experience. I get to challenge myself for 28-31 days and if I love it, I try to integrate it into my everyday routine (it takes 21 days to form a habit, right?). Last year, my monthly resolutions were:

January: Read 30 pages of a book (for pleasure) every day

February: Don’t say anything negative or complain

March: No social media

April: No alcohol

May: No sugar

June: Take 10,000 steps per day

July: Read four articles every day from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, and The Atlantic each

August: Jump in the ocean every day

September: No sugar (I really failed in May and wanted to try again. Spoiler alert: I failed again. I <3 chocolate.)

October: Meditate every day

November: Write in a journal every day

December: Don’t buy anything for myself that I don’t need (i.e. food doesn’t count). 

This year, Finch is getting involved. I’m going to continue my personal resolutions, but we’re adding sustainability-specific ambitions and keeping track of our progress. It’s always better to have a friend to hold you accountable, right?

We’re going to share our company resolutions, as well as some of our personal ones, in the hopes that they inspire you to follow suit. At the end of the day, we believe our individual actions can have a pretty powerful collective impact.

We even made a planner to help you keep track of your own progress. Download it below!

Want to get involved? Email us at hey@choosefinch.com on the last day of the month to tell us how you did. We may even give you a prize! During the next month, we’ll share your top tips for how to lower your energy costs. We’re excited to hear your ideas! 

Finch’s Monthly Sustainability Resolutions

January: Cut Back on Energy Use

January 10th is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day. This January, whether you’re living with your parents, just moved into an apartment with your significant other, or are traveling around the country in your converted camper van, let’s all try to find one or two hacks to cut our energy costs (and emissions!). Since our day of inspiration falls on January 10th, let’s each shoot for a 10% reduction. 

Do you have any helpful tips to get me started?

We’re so glad you asked! Here are a few ways to kick-off your sustainability resolutions.

1. Keep a record. One of the most helpful things to do every month is jot down a quick note about your starting point. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, so it helps to be clear about what your personal baseline is. Over the course of the month, we also like to make note of what our biggest challenges are and where we’re excelling the most, so that we have some good guidelines to refer back to the next time. It’s also super fulfilling to look back at the end of the month to see how far you’ve come. 

2. Be kind to yourself. What do we always say? Sustainability is all about progress, not perfection. We have no expectation that every person on the planet will be a Net Zero vegan who makes homemade soap (although, if you’re already there, AMAZING!). Take it step-by-step. If you slip up, it doesn’t mean that your whole month is ruined or that you’re not a “real” environmentalist. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. 

3. Find a buddy. Challenges are always more fun with a partner. Plus, finding someone who is willing to do this challenge with you means you have someone to help keep you honest on the tough days and celebrate with you on the days you do something great. We like scheduling check-ins with our buddies at least once per week.

If you have other resolutions or ideas, let us know! Check back here every month for an update on our progress, too. 

Download our planner to help you set goals for next year: