Let’s All Just Chill out on the Resolutions

It’s almost Christmas. Which means it’s almost New Year’s. And we all know what that means. RESOLUTIONS. At least this is what my social media feed tells me.

I once dated a guy who liked to joke that his New Year’s resolution was to “keep up the good work.” I thought that was pretty great. But perhaps you’re contemplating something a little more… specific.

As the owner of a wellness business I feel like I owe you some words of inspiration. That’s all it’s going to be today – words.

Consider that you are already beautiful. You are already loved at your current size and shape. Sit with that for a minute. You are already loved. It’s possible to believe this and still want to change. But ask yourself, what do YOU want? For yourself. If we let go of external expectations, how would our resolutions change?

And then consider that often times we make decisions subconsciously. At least this has been my experience. We’re taught that sticking with something is a matter of discipline. But conscious discipline must be supported by our underlying values. If you’re having trouble committing to an exercise plan it could be because, at a subconscious level, it’s just not all that important to you. And that’s okay.

I have friends that make a point to stay abreast of current affairs. I have friends who make-believe play with their children. I have friends who shower. As much as I respect my friends for having these habits, the reality is I just don’t see the value in regular exfoliation.

The good news is our values change. I didn’t always love running. Before I tried yoga, I had never done yoga. If you want to try something new I would encourage you to start small. For a minute there I considered giving up added sugar for a year. And then I ate a cookie and told myself to chill out. Let’s all just chill out on the resolutions.

Whatever you choose to do, please. Be kind to my friends. Let’s not create resolutions as a way to punish ourselves (i.e. “I’m finally going to haul my fat ass to the gym.”). Let’s not beat ourselves up when we miss a workout. Because we will miss one. We are human and life happens, after all. If you get off track, kindly re-evaluate your goals. And if it makes sense, come up with a different plan that better serves you.

That’s my plan for 2017. What’s yours?