I really struggle with New Years Resolutions. I understand why people set them, and I fully support people who feel a new chapter gives them the opportunity to start living a life that is a greater reflection of what they want. But my challenge is that what motivates me in January usually isn’t the same thing that motivates me in April or August or November. Did you know that only 9.2% of people are successful in achieving their New Years resolution? While I applaud the 1/10 who do achieve their goals, what does that mean for the remaining 90%? Can you see how hard it is to stay motivated and focused when the odds are stacked against you and when the goals you set are likely either unrealistic, unhealthy or too rigid? We need to quit setting ourselves up to fail and instead work on being the captain of our own team. Often with resolutions and goals we focus on things we need to add into our life but I found a great article about things we need to quit. You can click here to read the article. I found it quite refreshing and I have decided to incorporate quitting into my life more frequently. We all have an unhealthy or unkind part of our brain and it prevents us from seeing our accomplishments and strips us of believing in ourselves and our worth.
What am I focusing on in my practice instead is quarterly focuses. In other words, what do you want to prioritize in your life over the next three months? What gentle lifestyle change are you going to work on so that you feel you are making movement in your recovery? Once you have your quarterly goal, break it down even further into monthly goals that will help you achieve your quarterly focus. During these three months, it is important to say no to all other goals or focuses that may derail you or lead you away from what you want to prioritize.
If you are ready to create a focus for the first quarter of 2017, whether it is recovery based or something different, let me know about it by posting it in the comment section below. I can’t wait to see how successful you’ll be these next few months and throughout the year.