Take the Pressure Off

Did you know that January is considered one of the most stressful months of the year? Think about it. You've just wrapped up the past year. Maybe it was a great year where you checked everything off your to do list and hit all your personal improvement goals. Or...maybe you ended the year somewhat stressed with a list of partially accomplished goals. So what is your plan to create a solid start to the new year? You may be thinking, "I'll make resolutions!"

"The is going to be my best year ever!! I'm going to make up for the past two years of living with pandemic restrictions. I'm going to catch up on all my missed travel, keep a daily gratitude journal, and get in the best shape of my life!"

New Year's resolutions are not inherently bad. Declaring what we want to change or improve can be motivating and lead to positive results. But too often, our New Year's resolutions create in us immense pressure to achieve something (usually BIG) by a set deadline. I think this is especially true this year, as we emerge from the extreme challenges and losses many experienced since the beginning of the pandemic. Yet many times our resolutions lead to disappointment. We fail to stick to our new exercise or eating plan, we miss a deadline that would keep us on track, or we blow our savings budget. And it's still January.

How can we plan and look forward to positive change without placing undue pressure on ourselves?

Instead of starting with a list of resolutions or an action plan, begin by taking inventory of the past year. Answering these questions not only allows for thoughtful reflection of the past year, but also helps to inform our direction for the current year:

  - What goals, big or small, did I achieve in the past year?

  - What events or people brought me joy?

  - What events or people caused me to feel stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed?

 - What mistakes did I make and what lessons did I learn?

  - What values did I embody last year?

  - What from the past year do I want to release?

  - What from the past year do I want to bring into the new year?

After some time of honest reflection, ask yourself these questions about the current year:

  - What values do I want to embody this year?

  - What are the actions and behaviors I need to demonstrate in order to embody those values?

  - What top 5 priorities will guide how I use my time this year?

  - What relationships do I want to nurture and what steps will I take to do that?

  - What am I willing to try or do differently this year?

  - How will I measure success?

This reflection may motivate you to create specific goals with deadlines and measurements for the year. Or, you may decide that answering these (and possibly other) questions is enough. Either (or anything in between) is fine. My New Year's wish for you is that you enter into this year with self-awareness, intention, and hope.

Happy New Year.

Janet