New Year’s Resolutions Are Not Legally Binding
If you set a New Year’s resolution at the start of the month, I have a few important questions for you – what have you done to achieve your resolution? Did you spend the first week of 2022 exercising constantly or devoting yourself to a new crash diet? Did you decide you were going to learn a new language in 2022, so you downloaded an app or signed up for a course online that you were really excited about for a few days? Now, you’re not doing so much because all that other stuff that keeps you from your resolutions every other new year – they’re still there waiting. First and foremost, let’s remember that New Year’s resolutions are a great way to challenge ourselves to keep changing and growing throughout our lives, but they’re not legally binding. You’re allowed to let them go if you discover they’re not working for you, and guess what – that’s okay! However, if you do want to make changes and you’re struggling, this blog has some advice that might help.
Set Daily Intentions Instead of Broad Resolutions
Often, people give up on their resolutions because they’re too big and broad. I want to get healthier. I want to spend more time with family. I want to learn a new skill. These are great goals, but issues arise when day-to-day life gets in the way. Rather than trying to put all the other stuff on hold to pursue your resolution, why not start out by making your resolution part of your daily plan? Instead of setting one big resolution for the year, consider a big change you want to make. Then, start each day by setting an intention that will get you closer to achieving this goal. For instance, if your larger resolution is to “be healthier,” daily intentions might be things like:
Today, I intend to spend 30 minutes being active
Today, I intend to include vegetables with every meal
Today, I intend to schedule a doctor’s visit
Today, I intend to spend 10 minutes in meditation
Your intentions should be specific tasks that you can complete in one day. While they may seem small on their own, if you set and keep an intention each day, you are much more likely to make significant progress toward achieving real change.
Pinpoint the “Why” of Your Resolution
Not having a good reason why you want to achieve change is another big reason that New Year’s resolutions may not be successful. Many people want to be healthier, improve their relationships, or achieve some other change in the new year, but they don’t have a clear motivation for this change. Before you set a resolution this year, spend some time really thinking about your motivations. Why do you want to achieve this specific change in 2022? What will be different about your life? How will this change help you grow and thrive now and in the future?
Be Kind to Yourself
Even if you set resolutions you feel passionate about and motivated to achieve and you set intentions each day to help you reach your goals, you may fall short, change your mind entirely, or find you need to adjust your resolutions. That’s okay! Be kind to yourself. Remember when we said that New Year’s resolutions aren’t legally binding? That’s still true! Give yourself grace. You can change your resolution, or you can start over. Whatever you need to do, it’s okay.
Work with Me
Did you know a big part of my job as a therapist is all about helping people make progress toward achieving meaningful change? A lot of people think of therapy as something you do when you’re desperate, you’ve been through a really bad experience, or you’re “broken.” I help people every day who are going through a wide variety of experiences, and that includes working with people who are ready to make positive changes in their lives. If you really want to set and achieve some important life goals this year, let’s talk about it. I’m Ashley Pichardo, a licensed mental health counselor. If you’re interested in learning more about how therapy can be part of your growth in 2022, reach out today. I look forward to hearing from you.
