Resolutions are valuable. They are powerful commitments to ourselves to live better lives. For some of us, the New Year works as a time to implement these life changes. But here’s an idea for those of us who are caught scrambling to make or keep our resolutions: Perhaps the new year isn’t the best time to make resolutions.
There’s a lot of pressure around resolutions, following a time that’s often super busy and stressful. Stuffed full of cookies and too many hours of holiday movies, tired from parties and illnesses and the stress of trying to do it all, we’re not always at our best as the year draws to a close. This means we might not even be in the right frame of mind to choose resolutions that are proactive instead of reactive.
So, if you’re feeling stressed about New Year’s resolutions, let yourself off the hook. What if you don’t try to implement a major life change right now? What if you just take a deep breath, eat the last of the holiday cookies, and try to get a few extra hours of sleep.
The calendar says a new year starts on January 1, but ask yourself when your new year starts? Perhaps it’s your birthday, the first day of Spring, or halfway through the year on July 1? Perhaps it’s an arbitrary date in the next couple months?
I’m not suggesting to skip resolutions altogether (though that is totally okay, too), but simply to rethink your timeline. Make and implement your resolutions when it makes the most sense for you.
Whenever and whatever you resolve, I wish you the best as you find ways to live your best life in your year ahead!
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Have you shifted your resolution-making to another time of year? Have ideas for positive, affirming resolutions? Share in the comments!
