For years December would come and go and I would start to think about what changes I wanted to make in the new year. Everyone would ask me about my resolutions. Generally if you checked in with me around the 3rd week of January I had somewhere along the way lost interest in my resolutions. Then I would be disappointed in myself for not being able to stay committed. What a way to start the new year!
Then something changed in me. I stopped making new year's resolutions. Now anytime during the year if there is something that I think I should do, something I have always wanted to do, an improvement I know I should make for the benefit of my health I will start then, whenever then is. I don't wait until the new year and put so much extra pressure on myself. You can start anytime and you should.
That got me thinking about people who are struggling especially this time of year. Now add on pressures of making resolutions and it can put you over the top. I offer you this advice, try not making any resolutions at the beginning of the new year. Instead make a list of things that you would like to possibly tackle leaving out dates and timelines. Then under each of the items break it down with steps that you might need to take to achieve this goal. Break those down even more into smaller steps that seem more manageable. As the months move forward take a look at your list at the beginning of each month, pick out the steps that you feel are doable and try and complete them. At the end of each month, take a look at the list again and cross off any steps you completed, don't put any pressure on yourself or make yourself feel bad if you don't have anything to cross off or if you only have one or two items on the list you can cross off. There is no expectation, the list is there to make it easier to see what the steps are and some days, weeks and months we can cross off many things while other days, weeks, and months we can't cross of anything but it doesn't matter. There is always that next month to try again.
You will be pleasantly surprised that when you look back over several months how much you actually got accomplished because you broke it down into mini steps and didn't put the added pressure on yourself calling it a new year's resolution. Your confidence will push you forward to try and accomplish more each time without expectations and pressure. You will have turned the impossible into possible by taking mini steps without timelines.
I would love for you to try it and let me know how it works out for you in the coming months. Here's to a new way of setting yourself up for success.
