The New Year's Resolution Challenge and 7 Ways to Overcome It
Every year, when December is about to end, we propose a list of actions for the new year to come. Some typical examples are:
- Go to the gym.
- Lose weight.
- Start meditating.
- Go to bed and get up earlier.
- Prioritize tasks.
- Do the course we have postponed.
- Find a new job.
And the list goes on and on.
The stress of New Year's resolutions
In particular, as December draws to a close, I have begun to feel more concerned about my health and physical strength. I find myself saying to myself, “in January I will start high intensity activities”, “I will start a diet to lose the kilos that I have gained” and “I will go to bed earlier to sleep 8 hours”. They are all very good ideas, but the problem is that I get stressed just thinking about all my New Year's resolutions. Maybe the same thing will happen to you, and it is that the challenge begins because:
- It anguishes us to feel the lack of what we long for, "how sad not to be in shape".
- We feel guilty for having reached the end of the year as we are, "I haven't exercised in all these months and I'm terrible."
- We are overwhelmed by everything we "must" do, "I have to sleep more", "I must do more high intensity", "I should stop snacking".
- We are afraid of not achieving our goals, “if I don't go to the gym I won't be strong”, “if I'm not strong I'm going to get sick”.
- We get stuck with the objective and forget the enjoyment of the process, “I have to sleep 8 hours every night no matter what”.
The end of the year resolutions can reinforce what we currently perceive as our failure, lack, or defect.. If we analyze the example of my own life, my intentions to organize myself more with my hours of sleep and to have more willingness to exercise, accentuate my feeling of disorganization with my rest and neglect of my body in the present. The resolutions, in the end, can end up being that inner voice that crushes us and shames us for how we are.
- Related article: "10 tips to achieve your goals"
What can we do?
Here are several guidelines that can help you:
1. Contact our wisest Self to see how to relieve all the pressure that we self-impose
“Okay, I want to lose a little weight, but the main thing is my health. Is it real that I have to lose that amount of kilos to be healthy? If so, how can I start making comforting changes to my routine?
2. Adopt a growth mindset
I want to learn, undertake, make these changes. I'll take a few steps forward and a few steps back, but that's how it goes. "Have I had a stumble? It's normal, I get up and continue ”.
- You may be interested in: "Types of motivation: the 8 motivational sources"
3. be self-compassionate
We are ruthless to ourselves, we tell ourselves a string of horrible things about how we are and how "we should be". As well as we treat someone we love very much and who is having a difficult time, we can treat ourselves themselves, "I know I'm doing my best and even so it's not always easy, I value myself, I forgive myself, I let go of so much pressure, I trust”.
4. rephrase thoughts
Replace the “I have to”, “must”, and “should” with “studying this inspires me”, “training is fun for me”, “I feel like being more rested”.
5. Have an attitude of curiosity about the process instead of focusing only on the goal
"What do I like the most (laugh) about going to the gym?", "What do I value most about meditating?", "How do I feel when I come back from the course?"
- Related article: "How to learn from mistakes: 9 effective tips"
6. Formulate the purposes in the affirmative and in the present.
“I love my body and I am agile”, “I am worth a lot and I deserve this new job”. If you tell your brain not to do something, sooner or later it will.. Visualize yourself how you want or doing what you want now and the brain will take it for granted because it does not distinguish between present, past, or future.
7. Being reasonable with what we want and start taking one step at a time
This will give us a sense of accomplishment that will propel us forward. Last summer my lower back hurt horribly. He had had a sprain and had not exercised for months. I re-started yoga one day a week. It's amazing how much I've improved. If I had restarted more days of the week, I would have given up.
concluding
Instead of focusing on the behaviors we don't like, let's put our energy into creating new habits that comfort us. Let's be thankful for all that we are, what we have achieved, and what we are capable of.
As the Dalai Lama tells us: “every day when you wake up, think: today I feel lucky to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it”.
The problem lies not in having New Year's resolutions, but in the unrealistic expectations we have and the level of concern with which we set them. As long as we start out feeling light, relaxed, grateful, and valuing ourselves, we're on the right track. Have a great new year!
