New Resolution, No Reservations; I stopped waiting until January to make New Year Resolutions. Here’s why

Before we park January in the rearview mirror of 2023 and on the quiet as kept list of unaccomplished resolutions which were made on New Year Eve, I would like to share why I am crushing on the idea of every day being a new year beyond the month of January or even January 1^st and why you too, should consider starting, stopping, continuing at your pace and when you are ready. Making and keeping a resolution can be stressful and the pressure of keeping up with yourself can be intense.

What IF: What if you wake up each day with an intention to do or not to do that thing, whatever it may be insomuch as: working out, losing unhealthy weight, quitting an unhealthy habit, gaining healthy weight, eating well… or even re-organizing the closet, building that shelf in the garage, deep cleaning the house, finishing a project and of course being more present and available for yourself, setting healthy boundaries in friendships and relationships, taking some “me time.” (The most common new year resolutions) Would you feel more fulfilled?

I would and here’s why: Because every day I have given myself permission to start and to continue with my resolution (intention) as I work toward the achievement itself; instead of becoming discouraged and defeated to the point of quitting as a result of the pressure of a completion date on something that should be ongoing.

Regarding those things that take time and commitment, (I believe) that just as something has become a habit or normalcy by repetition, it will take the same repetition and normalcy to stop a habit or start a new one.

It takes time to become consistent at just about everything you do, especially when it’s something that does not come naturally. Sure, I’d suggest you set the goal and work toward the goal, with an ideal start… but I would not put a deadline on the act of doing it.

TRY THIS: Focus on getting into the habit of working out before assigning a weight target to it. Have a plan to work out for 6 weeks twice a week instead of the plan to lose 15lb in 6 weeks. Not that it’s not achievable, but it puts the goal into a more practical perspective. Becoming familiar with working out first helps establish the habit of working out. The lifestyle will produce results.

Another Example: Setting healthy boundaries in relationships should also be a lifestyle change that takes place daily and as you get into the habit of what’s acceptable in your life and what is not, your natural normalcy will shift. You do not need to wait until January or the new year to cut ties with people or things that are disrupting a healthy lifestyle.

Start today. Start where you are. You do not need to wait until the new year to be a new and improved you.

For me, it was a couple of years back, in the middle of the year and after each occurrence unfolded, that I implemented and continued to enforce my lifestyle change. When I fell off the self-care wagon, I pulled myself together and got back on every time until caring for myself became habitual to no longer accept open table reservations to the inside edition of my life and concert. Always keeping in mind, the following quote:

“The universe will send you what you exactly what you ask for and then send you a distraction to see if you’re going to mess up what you’ve asked for.”