Resolute.

OH HEEEEEYYYYYYY!

Hi there. I have been away for a minute because I moved and then still had to commute back and forth to our old place and then went on a three-week trip halfway across the world. The trip was amazing and eye opening. I am so glad our friends included us in their special day and that my husband was open to exploring some unknown territory with me! I will be posting about our trip shortly so I will leave the rest for then. For now, I wanted to talk New Year and what that means and what I’ve learned from watching myself and others through this time of year.

It is 2018, a new year. That is a statement of fact. There is no denying that time marches forward and there is significance to that. I think feeling a sense of change is kind of inevitable. I have friends who are able to glide through this time of year and seem completely unaffected, but I have to think that everyone sees it happening. It signals a new round of holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and celebrations. It can bring you closer to a goal and further away from a loss. So, beyond the physical passage of time I think there is a lot meaning behind the new year.

What this all leads to is the ever-lurking New Year’s Resolution. What to do about New Year resolutions. To say, “do nothing” is to act like you didn’t just order three new pair of yoga pants and invest in some free weights… oh you didn’t?… Or decide on a diet plan, started a new habit or set any new goal for yourself. I feel as though as hard as you try it is so hard to stay away from the resolution. Not only because it pervades our culture, but because we all have a list of things left undone and it is physical representation of moving forward and starting anew. And yes, dear hearts, I understand that I can start a resolution whenever I want, but the New Year is just so convenient isn’t it???

So, here’s my two cents on making resolutions and how to stick to them:

It really is! Make sure whatever you’re trying to do, it makes sense to do it that long. I feel like my friends and I often forget to remember if our resolution works when its summer or if we’re on vacation or what if we have kids? If you really can’t keep your resolution through the entire year come what may, it may be time to rethink it.

I honestly believe the best way to keep a resolution longer than a couple months is to set specific times for certain parts of it to be done or a certain place you’d like to be in, say, 90 days. For instance, if you want to start waking up early and working out every morning, why not just start with waking up earlier first, the move to a light workout then transition to your full workout. A lot of resolutions fail because we pile too much into too short of time period and then expect to keep up with it for whole year. Also, breaking a big resolution up into smaller goals not only helps you feel like you’ve made progress, but also means you are checking in with yourself and your goals throughout the year.

Do check in with yourself! This is why I make the last point. If you really want to continue growing and changing how you tell where you’ve been unless there some sort of accountability. Even if you don’t have someone doing it with you I feel like we all have a google calendar you can quickly add some reminders to. It’s hard to keep track of things, even if we really want them, if we don’t have some of system to check ourselves.

Be kind to yourself. It’s the easiest/hardest thing to do. I think we are so conditioned to feel as though we’ve failed when we aren’t perfect. Why not take it is an opportunity to build and improve. Have the real conversation with yourself where you admit what happened, acknowledge what it means and then make a plan going forward. Why didn’t I wake up on time? Why did I eat that? Why did I buy that thing? Whatever it is own up to it and then allow yourself to move on. Being kind to yourself is the most important thing you can do no matter what time of year it is!

Just don’t do it. Be a rebel and just keep on keepin’ on. If you already on a journey why interrupt it and clog it up with new things to do. As I said before, too many things going on at once is a recipe for disaster. Even if you’re not on some “journey” and you just don’t care… Well then actually good for you!!!! Send some of that moxie my way!

All that being said, I love you no matter what you choose to do and I am sure you will kill it no matter what. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and I can’t wait to share more!

Best,

Jess

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