Written by Nicole J.

Happy new year, folks! 2020 is officially here, and that means it is prime time to set those resolutions. Whether it is to start your own small business, or go natural, or finish that degree, or go on that dream vacation, the world is your oyster. But say you haven’t set any specific resolutions, and wish to change something else for this new decade. A simple mindset shift can bring much success even if your goals are nonspecific. With that in mind, here are some four-word mantras that are great for any resolution you may set.

By any means necessary

Is there something you hope to accomplish this year? What lengths are you going to go to achieve them? Short of doing something shady, illegal, immoral, or dangerous, “by any means necessary” is a great mantra to remind yourself that the road might be difficult, but you must reach your destination, even if the cost is great. It may involve some sleepless nights or a large financial investment, but as long as you reach the goal you set out for, the payoff at the end will be worth the initial difficulty.

Know better, do better

The late, great Maya Angelou is the originator of the whole quote I pulled this mantra from. No one enters this planet knowing how to do everything right the first time. We all make mistakes. But the biggest mistake of all is not learning from them. You may have spent years at a dead end job you hate, or birthed a child out of season, or destroyed your hairline in pursuit of another race of woman’s beauty standard, but recognizing the errors of your ways and course-correcting before it’s too late is a part of the process, at any age.

I’ll make it so

Rather than doubting yourself or your abilities, put positivity into the atmosphere by saying you will make it so. However, don’t set yourself up for failure by setting unattainable or unrealistic goals – use the SMART method of goal setting and go out there and get it done!

I am the table

2019 was the year of black women getting asked what we bring to the table. The low caliber men asking this say that this is a method to scope out gold diggers…when they have no gold, silver, bronze or aluminum to speak of. Remind yourself that YOU are the prize to be chased, YOU inherently add value to any relationship you pursue, and that YOU are the table that things should be brought to. Remember, we live in a patriarchy, and if we are making 75 cents to his dollar, he needs to use that extra bonus born of being male to woo us anyway.

No more time wasting

Kendall St. Charles often speaks of black women being busy, but not productive. Instead of scrolling endlessly on social media, use your time wisely and take on activities that add value to your life, in the short term (listen to an educational podcast instead of double-tapping on the ‘Gram) or long-term (maybe take on an extra course during a semester and finish your degree early).

I’m playing to win

Literally everything is a competition, whether you yourself think you are competing or not. When you get in the game, you have to get in the mindset that you are playing to get that gold medal, to win, to succeed, and do it well.

I don’t need that

This is definitely one for me to follow. My first and foremost resolution is to stop buying things I don’t need. Don’t let the endless marketing emails or the manufactured fear of missing out draw you into buying yet another thing collecting dust in your closet. This applies to non-monetary choices too, like crazy family members that bring you nothing but grief, people spouting nonsense on social media, or negative self-talk you may find lurking in your brain.

F#$k you pay me

And finally, make sure you are being compensated for any work you do well. Black women labor enough emotionally as it is, the least you can get is some money for it. Even your friends and family will take advantage of your time and talents if you let them, so put a price on it and get paid for your efforts.

Do you have any four (or more!) word mantras you’ll be taking into the new year? Do share them in the comments below!

Disclaimer: This blog was written by me, Nicole, and my ideas are not necessarily reflective of Christelyn Karazin or other writers on this platform.