New year + New Habits

It’s the end of January, that time of year when most of us are struggling to remember why we made those new year’s resolutions and debating what we have to lose by not following through with them. I know a lot of people feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to resolutions – they either love them or hate them. I fall into the love category and I have a theory about why that is.
I believe one of the biggest things that we get hung up on when it comes to resolutions is the idea that a resolution needs to correct or fix something in our lives. For example, to lose those extra ten pounds, or to break a bad habit. Which isn’t to say you shouldn’t make those your goals, but try rephrasing it. For instance, rather than saying, “I need to lose 10 pounds this year” try, “I’m going to come up with a plan for clean eating that fits within my lifestyle”. By shifting the goal from a negative statement (to lose weight) to a positive action (I’m going to come up with a clean eating plan) you’re setting yourself up for success in the long run.

To me, a resolution should be the pursuit of a positive habit that makes our life better in some way. This means carefully picking what my resolutions should be in light of how they will impact my life. For instance, rather than picking something that fills me with a sense of dread when I think about how I’m going to complete it, I try to pick something that I’m actually excited about. I know that might sound overly simplistic, but I really do believe it’s the key to making a successful change.

Why It’s Never Too Late To Start

The number one concept we all get hung up on is this idea that resolutions have to begin with the new year. They don’t. I know this idea isn’t earth shattering or new, but this is your new year reminder: it’s never to late to start a new habit. It can be done anytime, anywhere. 

I almost fell victim to my old way of thinking this January. A week into the new year, I realized I hadn’t really decided what to pursue as a resolution. Was I too late? What type of resolution should I pick? And then, “Why was I letting this stress me out?!” Ultimatley I decided to make it a goal to complete the Blue Letter Bible’s chronological one year reading plan. It’s been quite a while since I last read through the Bible as a complete reading in a year. While it’s a daunting goal, it’s one I’m excited about and that I believe will have a positive impact on my life, so what’s to lose?

I hope you’re embracing the new year and the figurative clean slate that it gives us all, and if you haven’t made any positive goals or resolutions for the year, remember, it’s never too late to start!