What you ask?
Resolutions (gah. Yuck). Not my jam.
They never have been and I’ve struggled with how not to look like the ND who isn’t all ‘Yay! New year, New YOU!’. Is it wrong that when I hear that I cringe? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I get it. The end of the year is a great time to review the past 365 days, set new goals and crush them in the year ahead. BUT, we all know what resolutions look like.
You hit the gym or commit to eating healthy or not allowing a toxic relationship to effect you the way it has in the past and Jan 1st is AWESOME. I mean you feel like you’re flying. You’ve made a dream board or written/articulated these goals and you’re determined to make them happen. And that momentum feels amazing.
Until Jan 15th when your toxic co-worker ropes you into a vent-fest and you feel drained. Or your child is up at night sick, you don’t sleep and make not-so-great food choices the next day because you’re so damn tired. And the little voice in the back of your head starts up – ‘ You know this won’t last right? You tried. That’s good enough. Maybe start again this Monday’. But Monday never comes.
This is human nature. It’s not your fault. It’s the fact that these goals were probably begging to be started BEFORE the end of the year and most likely you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
This is not to say that setting goals are wrong and you’re shooting yourself in the foot by wanting to be a better person, wife, mother, colleague, career woman in 2017. No no no. Quite the opposite.
Goals are amazing. It’s life that’s busy and as busy execs, mamas and down right amazing multi taskers, we are easily sidetracked. I often go upstairs after work to put laundry away and come down an hour later having tidied up the kids playroom, organized my day for tomorrow, meal planned (while I tidied ;)) and come downstairs knowing that I didn’t put the laundry away, but now need to dive into the night routine before it’s too late and my children turn into raging bulls.
It’s in the back of my head – the shoulda’s for the day. Same goes for new years resolutions (yuck again…my chest tightens when I hear this word). Our intentions are awesome and it’s not like we don’t have follow through. Am I right ladies? You are where you are BECAUSE you have drive and determination. But the mind likes to sabotage AND momentum decreases throughout the day AND studies show a new years ‘start” isn’t the best option but we still do it to ourselves.
So here’s what I’m suggesting offering…Maybe you’ve heard the saying – How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
Don’t worry about when you start, just plan and bite off an achievable goal – want to finally have the energy you need to get through your work day AND be present long enough to enjoy some downtime with your children/partner/friends? Try going to bed 20 min earlier than you do now (more on the reason behind this later). Start with 2 weeks. Try a new health hack on and see how you feel. Report back. I’d love to hear from you!
Trust me. When you break down a health goal and realize it’s actually do-able, momentum sky rockets. And you may find come the end of 2017 and start your next ‘bite’ in October or November. And this will feel amazing too.
Start here. One bite at a time. I’ve got your back.
Happy 2017! Let’s eat the elephant!