Why New Year New Me Rarely Works & What You Can Do Instead
If you’ve ever failed at new year resolutions, you’ll know you’re not the only one. There are several reasons for this, which you can read about in this article. This is important because it’s easy to be hard on ourselves when we fail. Also, it can be discouraging if you’re actually wanting to create changes for yourself. Read on to see why January may not be the optimal time for you to start ‘improving yourself’ as well as what you can do to increase your chances of making viable changes.
January is the wrong season for change and renewal
You may think January is a great time to create a change as we’re turning the page of a new calendar year. However, January falls in winter, which makes it a very bad time to implement new habits & create transformations. This is because renewal and new habits are absolutely out of sync with nature and evolution. Since winter time is a cold period with little daylight, it is a time of turning inwards and recharging. Like with trees that lose all their leaves. They’re not dead as they stand in stillness on the ground, getting nourishment from the earth to their roots; they’re recharging and getting ready for spring. To kickstart change in January is hard, because it means defying our human wiring, which is in sync with nature. Springtime is a much better time for renewal.
However, as humans, we tend to forget we too are of nature and that everything comes in ebb and flow. Today we're usually so focused on productivity and our constant doing, that we forget how powerful and important it is to retreat, rest and pause. So many things happen when we refrain from doing. Like the ideas and inspiration we get in the shower, or the connection we can feel to our breath and body as we lie down, which help recharge our nervous system. Or the love and perspective that appear when we take the time to listen to ourselves and those around us for what action and direction to take next. It’s easy to forget how stillness and rest is powerful, but in actual fact it is here, we get perspective so that we may plunge forward more efficiently. So maybe you want to rethink your January kickstart and simply nurture yourself a little better this season.
We can’t hate ourselves into a body we love
Viable lasting changes come from meeting ourselves with kindness and wanting better for ourselves. For many, the January new year resolutions aren’t born from self-kindness, but rather self judgement. Often the motivation for change in January comes from pounding on ourselves for what our body looks like or how much food or alcohol we’ve consumed in the Christmas season. We can’t hate ourselves into a body we love; we must nurture ourselves into health and wellbeing. Therefore a much better thing you can do for yourself is to spend these months tuning inwards as you make little changes, which comes from wanting to support yourself and your body. Where do you speak badly to yourself and is there a way you can improve this? Ask yourself what kind of nurture, care and fuel your body needs to function optimally, because you truly care for it.
All or nothing mentality rarely works
The reason why so many stop on their way to their goals is because changes require consistency as well as a mindset shift. Plunging forward full steam ahead means we eventually run out of gas - often, before we’ve started to experience the results. Moving forward at a slower, yet consistent pace is what will allow us to feel the difference of health, which is what will help motivate us to keep going.
Failing to find a deeper reason & being truthful with ourselves
What many go into January with is the desire for a quick fix. What we want is to maintain the same lifestyle we have, but ‘fix’ the way we look to feel better about ourselves. This fails to address how we feel, the experience of our body and if the life we’re leading is serving us. If we tend to drink too much alcohol, then looking at why we do this, will help us choose otherwise. The same with stress and extensive weight: If we have a tendency to eat too much sugar, then looking at what times of day and on what occasion we do it, will help bring us clues as to why it’s happening. When we know why we can begin to meet our needs differently and prevent our blood sugar from dropping low. The same goes for how we manage or react to stress. When we seek to find the underlying issues, we can work on improving these and showing ourselves we’re valuable, by caring for it rather than invalidating, dismissing or suppressing it.
How to address wanting to make changes in January
If you’re wanting to make changes for yourself this year, start by finding your WHY. Ask yourself; What will this change; allow me to do; mean for me; bring me? Write this down and bring it out whenever you’re wanting to quit. It’s also a good idea to look at what has stopped you from reaching your goals in the past so you’ll know how to avoid this from happening.
Create a better ritual around sleep. This season is a time for rest and going inwards. We tend to forget, but we are made of nature. Like the trees have lost their leaves, they’re not dead, yet they’re replenishing and getting ready for spring. When we have good bedtime rituals and get quality sleep, so many things improve in our life and health naturally. Like our blood sugar and energy levels for instance.
Seek to bring balance to your life. Example: If you struggle with being tired and low on energy, what will help you balance this? More coffee and sweets? Or more rest and better sleep + stable meal times? This season is a time for tuning inwards to find the best way to move forward. When we have taken the time to find the right direction, we will be more effective once we start to move.
Set smart goals: This is an acronym for setting a goal in a way that increases your likelihood of reaching it. Therefore create goals for yourself that are; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and set within a Timeframe. This means you don’t have to do the all or nothing commitment, but rather can be logical and plan out for what goal you’re working towards.
Planning: Before just plunging ahead with the changes you’re wanting to make, it’s also a good idea to plan for your implementation with a coach or a friend. Setting goals may be easy enough, but implementing changes can be difficult. Therefore, to increase your chance of reaching your goals and implementing changes, it’s great to do it with somebody else, who will help hold you accountable and cheer you on. You could also create a little stir at work and see if your team may want to implement changes with you, so you can all help each other out.
Be kind to yourself. Whatever you choose to do in January - whether plunging forward with all of your goals or working on your sleep rituals, make sure you’re speaking kindly to yourself. You’re making changes to your life, so whatever you’re doing, don’t feel like it’s the end of the world if you accidentally miss or skip one workout or whatever it is you’ve committed to. The most important thing is that you come back the next day without beating yourself up.
Do little things for yourself, which you can maintain, which will help you make better choices for yourself. Like joining our water challenge! By simply making sure you’re staying hydrated and having enough water, you can create a knock on effect of healthier choices in your life. And then, comes spring you would have already started to create changes, which you’ll be able to fuel on when the season for change and goal setting finally does arrive.
Wishing you the best and most loving beginning to this new year.
Much love,
