New Year, Same Me
As 2020 finally draws to a close more than ever, people are thrilled for the new start that a new year brings. Year after year, we all hear the same old same old lose weight, pay off bills, do that one thing that I know I’m never going to do. I’m comfortable saying we’ve all said “new year, new me” at least once in our lives. We all start January as a ball of fire with our goals, and we all fizzle out by mid-February if we show real commitment. New Year’s resolutions are as big a joke as Christmas fruit cake. Why is that?
I believe it’s because our resolutions have become too grandiose. Don’t get me wrong; it is fantastic to have big dreams. We all need them. Big goals take time to realize, years if not decades. I can’t go from couch to Dewayne Johnson in 30 days. Time, patience, and diligence are needed to reach these goals. Come the New Year, and we want something that is a quick success. So I am suggesting to add some manageable easy to achieve goals to your list of new years resolutions.
It is a fact that the momentum in achieving goals is vital to the completion and success of the dream. If your only goal is daunting and will take months or years to realize any results, then discouragement sits in; discouragement leads to excuses, and excuses lead to procrastination. Before you know it, you’ll have the same resolutions year after year.
Luckily, we can do more than one thing at a time. For this new year, I suggest adding smaller side resolutions to your list. Things like cleaning and organizing the garage or closet, switching out that dated light fixture, or connect with that cousin you didn’t get to see over the holidays; things that are quick to complete in an evening or a weekend. This way, when you’re too tired and sore to hit the treadmill, you can instead open that hall closet and get it taken care of. You are still making progress on your goals for the new year, and your momentum continues to build as you cross these off your list, helping continue your journey toward your loftier dream.
I dislike the phrase “New year, new me.” I understand what the saying means, however right or wrong, I have heard the expression as “New year, new me (because I’m not good enough)” Family and friends don’t need or want a new you; they accept and love you as you are now. So instead, give them an improved you. A you that improves one little goal at a time while taking steps your big dream.
Yes, January 1st will be a new year, and the same you, however, at the end of 2021, will have so much more accomplished you you could say, “Old year, improved me.”