Today is Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day. And I’m all for it!
Do I mean that we should throw all of our hopes for change in the New Year away and return to bad habits or unhealthy choices? Not a chance!
But I definitely support giving up on the unreasonable, restrictive, punishing “resolutions” that many people adopt on January 1 each year.
Instead, I think we’d all do better to focus on our intentions and work toward our goals – whatever they may be — with small steps, self-awareness, and forgiveness.
My annual New Year’s process of reflecting and setting goals for the year, which I shared here, helps me to re-evaluate my life as a whole and to find real and meaningful reasons to change. Focusing on the things that motivate the desire for change – whether that’s family, health, financial freedom, or anything else that you value and strive for – is a better way to begin than focusing on what’s “wrong.”
To make any kind of long-term improvement happen, we have to recognize that real lifestyle changes are required. And we all know that those don’t just happen overnight. Focusing on small achievements and changing little bits at a time, you truly can make whole-life changes.
Bad habits can take just as long to break as good habits can take to form, and we have to treat ourselves with compassion as we go through the process.
Would you tell a friend or family member to give up if they didn’t find immediate success or if they slipped up in reaching for a goal? Absolutely not. You’d encourage, support, and cheer. So try to give yourself the same grace.
Throw those “resolutions” out the window today, and set a course for genuine change.
