Happy New Year and Happy 2023!!
Who else thought this year was never actually going to come to be??
Hint-if you grew up in the ’80s…that’s probably you, haha!
I have a love/hate relationship with the new year, I won’t lie.
I love the idea of having a new year and the hope that it brings.
But I also believe it’s a little bit dangerous as well.
Because, truth be told, every single day you wake up is an opportunity to start new.
To have hope in a new beginning.
To believe that you have a fresh start in life.
I think we stigmatize our life a little bit and believe we can’t do anything differently if it isn’t the “new year”.
It can be easy to fall into the trap that our life is just what it is and outside our control.
Now, don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some things that ARE outside of our control, but not as much as we believe.
As we start a new year, many of us make resolutions with the hope of improving our lives.
I would like to offer that this year, as you start your resolutions and goals, you remember that YOU are 100% in control of achieving all your goals.
Instead of making goals that you give up on in 3 weeks like the majority of the population, maybe make a resolution that you will place that hope in yourself this year.
Maybe this year, you can start believing that you are completely capable of achieving whatever it is you set your mind to.
Maybe this year, instead of “hoping” you accomplish your goals, you focus on believing you are capable of accomplishing them.
Our minds are a very powerful force we underestimate. I would like to remind you that you can accomplish absolutely anything you decide you can.
Now, belief is just one part of accomplishing what you want. Work, effort, and action are also required.
Here are just a few tips to help you as you start off this year with your goals:
- Set specific goals that have minimum and maximum effort on your part. Instead of committing to go to the gym every day for an hour when you haven’t been in over a year, perhaps you can set a goal to go 3 times a week for 30 minutes with a minimum of once a week for 15 minutes.
- Allowing yourself a minimum baseline helps your mind just get moving, which is the point when you have a goal to increase your exercise. If you set a goal that is too lofty, you will convince yourself it is too hard and quit.
2. Make a plan and schedule time to do it every week. If you have set the goal to go to the gym 3 times a week, write it in your calendar at the beginning of the week so you know exactly when it’s going to happen. Be realistic though. If you haven’t been getting up 2 hours earlier, that probably isn’t something that is sustainable for the long term.
3. Keep your commitments to yourself. If you had a job that required you to be at work at 8 am every morning, you would not question whether or not you should show up. Do the same for yourself. If you decide you are going to work out on Friday at noon–do it. For yourself. This will also build confidence and trust in yourself.
4. Be flexible. Life happens, and sometimes we need to make adjustments. If that happens, give yourself at least 24 hours to change your schedule. This requires not only that you plan ahead, but also that you are thinking with your “adult” brain and not your “I don’t want to” toddler brain 🙂
5. Reward yourself and celebrate your success along the way! I love non-food rewards personally–a new piece of workout equipment, a new outfit, a piece of technology, etc. It just has to be something that brings you enough excitement and desire to earn to keep you working towards it. And reward yourself regularly. Do not wait to celebrate your progress until you have hit your goal–every step along the way counts!
No matter what goals or resolutions you set for yourself this year, if you set any at all, I hope that you will at least decide to choose yourself this year.
Choose to show up for yourself.
Choose to believe in yourself.
Choose to be there for yourself.
You got this!
Here’s to YOU this year!