New Year, New You: Skip the Resolution
Image: Mohamad Nohassi
Image: Tim Mossholder
Here we are again at the beginning of the year, and chances are you already forgot or broke whatever New Years resolution you came up with this time around. It is a lot of pressure to begin a new year with a clean slate, big dreams, and the overwhelming desire to improve as a person - especially with a single monumental goal which is likely the thing you want most to change and have struggled to change over the last year(s). That said, as long as you are still alive, there are usually second chances, so there is no better time than the present to start carving out the life you truly want to live. But hold up: Before you can go, you gotta get ready. And this is a quick motivational guide to get you on the right track.
Image: Estee Janssens
START SMALL: You want to lose thirty pounds? Save up enough money for a trip to Morocco? And to buy a camel? You want to pay off your student loans that have compounded by 300%? These are lofty goals, and only you can decide if they are worth keeping, but the real way to succeed and learn to trust yourself is to start small. Focus on creating incremental goals to your larger dream goal. You want to lose thirty pounds? Start with five. Celebrate these little victories. (And not in a self-sabotaging way! Skip the cheesecake! Buy a FitBit!) Break down your goals and give yourself a timeline so that you can accomplish them. Need $1200 for a trip to Morocco next January? Put aside $100 each month. Remind yourself that success is in the small goals, and thus the small decisions. If you want to lose weight each week, don’t make an excuse to have chocolate every night. It’s just not worth it. And if you feel overwhelmed, bring it back to basics. If you backslide, get back on track with your next incremental goal. Week by week, you will train your mind and eventually get there. Just don’t give up…again.
Image: Catt Liu
WASH THE DISHES: Your environment is a reflection of your internal landscape. A messy house mirrors a cluttered mind. If your house is in shambles, post holiday shenanigans, take the tip above, and start small. Wash the dishes. Make your bed. Wash AND fold the laundry. Clean the bathtub. While you may not have hours to clean the entire house, start with one task or one room. Use it as a meditation to pay attention to how it looks from start to finish, and more importantly how you feel in the process. Do not attach to feelings that arise, and do not judge yourself for being a filthy animal. Life is demanding, a juggling act of sorts, but today, you will juggle your ceramic cups and make damn sure your coffee station looks stellar. Getting ahead of the game as starting your Spring cleaning in January, will improve your mood and get your head in the game.
Image: Mad Rabbit
GET MOVING: It is winter time. It is cold. And dark. And you feel like a sloth. It’s 2pm and you are still in bed but that is ok because you are working remotely and your screen time has already exceeded 8 hours. Put the laptop down, and get moving. Take a hot bath. Walk your Schnauzer. Drag in the trash bins. Jump on your bike and just ride. Getting your body moving will give you more energy, elevate your mood, clear your head, and who knows what else you will be inspired to do!
Image: Giorgio Trovato
DRINK MORE WATER: Want more energy, drink more water. It sounds so simple, almost laughable to mention, but it is the most basic, most important thing to remember to do throughout the day. Flush out those toxins, hydrate your skin, be healthy.
Remember, It is the things we do not see or the things we do not do that most define who we are. Pause, Reflect, Plan..and Start Small. You’ve got this.
