As the year is coming to an end, we always look back and say, “OMG, I haven’t done this and I should have done this, etc”. Then we rush into the New Year and make a resolution or maybe a few for the next year!
How many do you think keep their new year’s resolutions? The truth is, most of us will do the same thing we always do! We do it for the first week or two or maybe we keep saying to ourselves, “I will start next week or next month” and then slowly that resolution is forgotten within a few weeks to months! I will say I have to give kudos to those who stick to their resolutions and achieve their goals!! 😊
Have you ever thought about why we don’t stick to our resolutions? I presume, the reason why we don’t stick to our resolutions is because they are often not realistic. They are often too ambitious, or they are not specific enough. If we set ourselves up with goals that are not achievable from the get-go, it’s so easy for that goal or resolution to easily get sidetracked in our already busy lives.
As a woman, physician, and mom, we have our hands full. Whether it is running to work after getting your kid ready in the morning or rushing after work to take your son to soccer practice or coming home after a long day to get dinner ready. Granted some of us have help, some of us have very helpful husbands, but somewhere amongst all of this, life happens and we easily get sidetracked from our resolutions.
This year, why don’t we try to do something different for the new year. Instead of making a mental list of things you want to achieve this upcoming year, why don’t we take some time and reflect on this past year and instead of focusing what it should have been, why don’t we start the new year focusing on how great it’s going to be. Let’s focus on ourselves.
I’m pretty sure, if you do this and maintain this positive approach for the new year, you will end up doing more than you would have wanted to in some arbitrary list you might have made for the new year.
As Alfred James said, “Enter the New Year with zero pressure on your back to do anything other than remain open to the possibility of your potential, receptive to change and ready to show compassion to yourself for your shortcomings.”
One suggestion would be to take an hour of your day today and write down some things you wanted to achieve last year and then reflect back on why that didn’t happen. Write that down. Was it because you didn’t really want to, or you were busy prioritizing something else? Did doing something else make you happier than what you wanted to do last year? Maybe this goal was something someone else wanted for you but you felt like it was your goal? There might a ton of reasons why you might not have achieved your goal last year.
This year let’s change that! Let’s focus on being happy! Focus on something that is fulfilling for you! Maybe pick one hobby that you know that always brings you joy and focus on doing that! Maybe it’s cooking again? Painting again? Starting a blog? Maybe what makes you happy is just taking an hour to yourself everyday and do what you want! During that hour, you want to read a book with a cup of tea, you want to watch your favorite TV show, you want to take a hot bath! All you really need is one hour of protected “me” time! Try to not waste that one hour of time on social media, but hey if that’s what makes you feel fulfilled by all means, go right ahead!! You say one hour is too much time, then do 30 min! Maybe you say, I don’t even want to do this, then don’t do it! This is all about you! All about do what you want!
So, this new year let’s try just that! Try to focus on yourself, focus on being positive and do something you love! Don’t make arbitrary goals or unrealistic expectations. Let’s try #metime, #focusingonmyself, #imdoingwhatilove!
