How often do we hear the statement ‘new year, new me‘? In theory, the new year sounds like a great time to make changes in our lives, but in reality, it’s not.
Let’s talk about why New Year’s Resolutions typically fail, why January is not the best time to make big changes, and what we can do this year instead.
Why New Year’s Resolutions Typically Fail
There are a few common reasons why new year’s resolutions fail.
- Too much pressure (speed). When we set goals for ourselves, many of us want to see the changes right away, so if we don’t see immediate progress, it’s a failure, leading us to quit.
- Lack of Confidence. Many of us have tried and failed at new year resolutions in the past, which can make it difficult to believe in our ability to succeed.
- They’re too overwhelming. At the opportunity to start fresh many of us set big goals, but when it comes to actually attempting to achieve them, we’re overwhelmed.
- Not tracking progress. A measurable and time-limited goal is two critical aspects of good goal setting. But if you don’t track your progress, you won’t know where you’re at, how far you’ve come, or how far you have left to go.
- Lack of Support. It’s harder to achieve our goals when we’re doing them alone.
- Lack of Motivation. Many of us know what we won’t – lose weight, stop smoking, save money – but do we know why? Like actually know why. Not having a solid idea of why we want to accomplish a goal makes it harder to be motivated.
Why January is Not The Best Time For Big Changes
In theory, the new year feels like a fresh start for many people. While it can be, it’s actually a very challenging time of year to consider making significant changes in our lives.
Here’s why:
- The holidays are a difficult time of year for many people for many reasons. This can leave people feeling exhausted emotionally and physically, burntout, sad, feeling isolated or lonely, etc.
- The holidays impact our routine. With time off and spending time celebrating, we are thrown off our regular routine, and it can take us a while to get back on track.
- The transition back to work and a regular sleep schedule is challenging.
- Seasonal depression. January is a cold, grey, dark month for many people, which significantly impacts motivation.
- Recovering from overspending during the holidays is very common.
- The new year itself simply puts a lot of pressure on us.
Celebrate Yourself in 2022
Life is hard; cut yourself a little slack. Maybe you didn’t accomplish what you wanted to this year, but you know what? You survived, and you should be proud of that.
Don’t think about a whole new you this year; instead, think about what you love about yourself and focus on making those things shine.
If there isn’t anything you can think of that you love about yourself, that’s okay. Consider asking a friend what they love most about you, or take the time to thank your body for getting you through the last year.
This time of year, it’s easy to have negative feelings about our bodies, particularly with so many ads being focused on post-holiday weight loss. But your body is amazing and resilient no matter what shape it is or what you consumed over the holiday season.
How can you take care of yourself?
My 2022 Plan
This year, I am making a commitment to myself to write more. The plan is to practice – with the long-term goal of writing a novel. I have been saying I will start writing a novel for years, but it’s always felt too daunting. So, this year, I am focusing on simply writing more, no matter what it is, how much it is, or how bad I think it is.
The plan is to focus on the process and not the product so I can hopefully get out of this mindset that it’s not worth writing if it isn’t perfect or if it isn’t going to generate me income. I used to love writing and I want to get back to a place where I feel that passion again.
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