2024. New Year…New Me?
In the spirit of January being here again, what better topic than New Year’s Resolutions.
We’ve all experienced that 365-day period of living our best lives, some of us spend that time traveling, spending time with loved ones, achieving lifelong goals, etc. But most of us spend the end of that cycle celebrating the holidays and ringing in the new year with friends and family where we decide to change, what most would consider, to be not so treasured habits for the new year to come. Some may even entertain the infamous phrase of “new year, new me”. Does this sound familiar? It certainly does to me.
How do you choose healthy New Year resolutions?
According to USA Today, Jenny Koning, a therapist with a virtual primary care platform known as PlushCare, encourages clients to “reframe the brain” in how it thinks of these goals. Rather than thinking of these goals as resolutions, try thinking more along the lines of intentions. “Resolutions can conjure feelings of good or bad and success or failure. Whereas, intentions offer us a place of compassion, growth, and grace” (Dec. 21, 2021).
So, taking Koning’s advice, it’s an interesting concept to consider when trying to determine a New Year’s Intention. Though you are always striving to become your best self, it’s also important to remember, you don’t have to change who you are as a person in order to become that self. Sometimes all it requires is fine tuning as well as deep self-reflection and small consistent changes on a daily basis. But, as Koning states, it is also imperative that you remain compassionate and give yourself grace as it could very well take the next 365-day cycle for this growth to fully take place and for you to see the changes that you seek.
How do I keep it simple and achievable?
Changing your mindset from “resolution” to “intention” is difficult enough, but trying to change it from a goal that is unachievable to something achievable is difficult as well. Here are some tips to consider when trying to determine what your New Year’s Intention will be for 2024.
stop letting your fears and insecurities make YOUR choices for YOU
stop feeling as though you have to over explain why you chose to do or say something - just because someone else doesn’t understand
don’t feel as though you have to be too proud to ask for help - or not asking because it simply feels “weird” or “too uncomfortable”
choosing to surround yourself with those who don’t put you first
not being able to forgive yourself
not being able to set healthy boundaries in your life
These would be far too many to tackle in one year, but maybe one or two would be a good start. You want to make sure your intention(s) is achievable and within your reach. Start small. After all, this cycle will inevitably come back around in 365 more days!