Do you have any New Year’s resolutions, and have you broken them already?
I can’t remember when I decided to give up New Year’s resolutions. It probably happened around the same time I gave up comparing myself to others – both behaviors set me up for disappointment.
While I understand the importance of setting goals, I don’t buy into creating unrealistic expectations at the beginning of each year. Usually, when we don’t achieve our resolutions by mid-Feb, we feel like the entire year is blown. The truth is, we are just out of the starting blocks of a brand-new year of possibilities.
I prefer to let go and let life unfold as it should when it should. This behavior is the opposite of my old ways when working an 18-hour day was taking the afternoon off. I write about this in my book – The Success Paradox – How to Surrender and Win in Business and Life (coming out in June 2023).
The Big Let-Go
The word surrender is a big one. By letting go, I create the space for life to flow the way it should. In the days when I tried to control everything, I was miserable. I needed to get out of my own way!
And while I no longer make New Year’s resolutions, I do have a consciousness about how I want to live my life that applies to each day – not just the first day or week of the new year.
Because I take care of myself mentally and physically, I am available and energized to receive what life has to offer in the present moment. Practicing gratitude, being mindful, and acknowledging my triggers have become my way of life. I sometimes slip into old bad habits of constantly “doing” rather than “being,” but I catch myself quickly and have the tools to get back on the right path.
As I wrote about in one of my blogs last year, I am not averse to putting myself into a “time-out” to get my head straight and then carry on!
Make Self-Care A Habit
In 2023, I will keep on keeping on – what I have been doing is working, and I acknowledge that self-care takes work, it also needs to be consistent. It’s about creating easily achievable habits, not high expectations that set one up for failure.
As the Tao Te Ching philosophy says, “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.”
May life surprise you in many beautiful ways. I wish you a fantastic 2023!
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