So it’s a Friday evening, and I’m sitting here enjoying a nice relaxing pedicure, and realized it’s been a really long time since I wrote a blog post. I’ve been meaning to write this one since last year actually. Being the new year is upon us, I figured I’d share about why I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. It’s something that weighs on my mind every single year when I see people making a promise to themselves to change everything under the sun about their lives, beginning on one single day… this year more so because it’s the beginning of a new decade; not just a new year.
I’m all for change and self-improvement … don’t get me wrong. It’s not that. I just feel like the entire “resolution” process in particular is setting yourself up for failure and disappointment. People tend to get really hyped up and dive in full force, only to overwhelm themselves and fall flat. I like to refer to my take on the new year as “New Year’s Goals” as opposed to resolutions. I think goals aren’t as harshly defined, but yet have set good intentions for the upcoming year. How many times do you here of someone being disappointed in themselves for falling off their resolution wagon, only a few days or weeks into the year?? It’s all too common. Go to a gym mid-January and you will see what I mean… half as many people are there as there were on January 1st or 2nd.
New Year’s Goals are for the whole year …. a focus of change and intention that you can practice and prefect as the year progresses.
Everyone’s goals are different, obviously, but a lot of the time involve some sort of self-improvement. For me, my goals this year include daily meditation, intention setting on a regular basis (according to moon phases if you follow me on Instagram and believe in that sort of thing) and working on my overall health; mentally and physically. Of course my mediation and intention setting go hand in hand with my health, and how I plan to go about changing it.
I have no plan on changing everything overnight … again, that’s a setup for failure…. instead, I started slowly towards the end of last year. I began meditating as an almost-daily practice. Every evening while I fall asleep, I put on my headphones (my husband just got me these super awesome ones for Christmas), and listen to a sleep meditation or chakra balance meditation to fall asleep to. There are some amazing ones on YouTube as well as ones available through Audible. I found myself more rested, and able to clear my mind and fall into a deeper sleep faster. I also added this melatonin supplement as a natural aid to help me fall asleep, as I’m not a huge fan of prescription sleep medication for me. Being able to get a good night’s sleep makes getting up at 5:30AM a lot easier, especially on these cold, winter, New York mornings. Not to mention, enough energy to get me through the day productively.
Through the holidays, I enjoyed my fair share of sweets and treats, indulged here and there, but did not beat myself up over it. We are allowed to enjoy food, and almost any food, in moderation. So to start off the year, I’m going back into my routine, knowing that I will inevitably have to detox from sugar, and that it will honestly suck a bit …. but I’m not leaving the holiday season feeling denied. I’ll slowly transition back to my stricter eating habits, and once the New Year’s rush is passed as the gym…. mid-January… I plan on adding dates back on my calendar for strictly gym-time. These are times and days I put on my calendar, set up reminders, and make a promise to myself to go to the gym… no matter how many excuses I can think up. Sometimes it’s for a particular class, or just plain cardio time. Preplanned and on the calendar give me a little more accountability when I don’t have a gym partner there.
Another thing is that I always start the new year with a crispy and clean new calendar. And fresh, rewritten to-do lists. Organization. Ahhhh… one thing that sparks some major joy for me. Ever since finding about her brand years ago, Erin Condren has been a personal favorite when it comes to planners. I love that I can customize my planner to how I like it, pick my own style and colors, and find what is most visually appealing to me at this season in life. This year I chose an awesome astronomical design that incorporated my sun sign, Pisces, as well as a matching throw blanket … all with my name on them. I mean… who doesn’t want a matching planner and soft, plushy throw?? Just me?? Ok then!! (Trust me… you won’t regret the throw… I’m in love and have to steal it back from my hubs and kiddo all the time lol).
Of course I have some smaller goals on my list too…. be more timely with folding and putting away laundry. Getting rid of clothes and other household items that no longer fit or spark joy for me (thanks Marie Kondo! If you don’t know who or what I’m talking about, check out her books here or her series on Netflix … life changing!). Declutter. Maintain organization. Find happiness and balance in a clean home.
Overall, whether you choose to set “New Year’s Resolutions” or go with my more casual approach of “New Year’s Goals” … I think the most important part is to just keep growing. Keep learning. Keep pushing forward. Find what makes you happy, what you need to improve, what your family needs and go with it! Write it out so you have some accountability to yourself, maybe in your Erin Condren planner, or someplace else that you will see it often… a mirror you look at daily like your bathroom mirror is a great place for this, too! Do check-in’s with yourself often. It’s all about growth – not perfection. Change can happen at any time, not just January 1st. There are 365 chances for fresh starts every year… Do something daily to improve your life… you will thank yourself later!
