Your Guide to Resolution Making
Still trying to figure out your 2017 resolutions? Or maybe you made a few but are already struggling to keep them? Don’t fret! There’s no “right” time to make a resolution, but for many of us there’s something inspirational about the beginning of a new year, making it a fantastic (and traditional) time to set new goals and commit to them.
Making appropriate and attainable resolutions and sticking to them can take more forethought than the average person might think to put in. And even if you manage to stick to something all year, if it’s not ultimately a healthy change for you, can you really say you’ve been successful?
Team Freed wants all of you to have the most successful and fulfilling 2017 possible. Everyone will have their own individual considerations to keep in mind when making resolutions, but to make things a little easier, we’ve got a few suggested considerations that are almost universally important.
1) Don’t make rules and call them resolutions. There’s a difference! Rules are inflexible, which can make them really hard not to break. They have the connotation of being enforced, thrust upon you, rather than being something you’ve actively chosen for yourself. Think about the definition of the word “resolute”--admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering. A resolution is positive enough to be admired, self-selected with purpose, internally determined, and finally, yes, unwavering.
When you’re choosing resolutions, the first order of business is to make sure it’s something you feel truly and honestly resolute about achieving, not something you think you’re supposed to want to do. If it meets that standard, then move on to your other considerations. And make sure your resolution is flexible enough to be realistic! Think, “I will do my best to work intentional movement into each day,” instead of, “I will work out every morning,” if your goal is increased fitness (and, pro tip: it doesn’t have to be!). That way, no matter what you’re able to do physically or emotionally that day, as long as it’s honestly your best, you’re accomplishing your goal. Yes, even if you need to spend a day on the couch, you're still being resolute about doing your best.
2) Supplement, don’t sacrifice. Feeling restricted almost never leads to success. You usually hear this adage in relation to food habits, but that’s not the only realm in which it may apply. For instance, I haven’t gone to sleep without the TV on in years. One of my resolutions for 2017 is to try to stop relying on the television to lull me to sleep every night, especially since I know it’s impacting my overall sleep quality and leaving me tired every morning. But the thought of just turning the lights of and lying down in silence fills me with anxiety. So what do I do?
Instead of forcing myself to lay in the dark unhappy and unable to sleep, I’m experimenting with different supplements to my TV lullaby, trying to figure out exactly why the TV "works" for me and what else might stand in without the sleep quality sacrifice I’ll be trying different combinations of reading, podcasts, music, and sleep aids while I try to figure this out. In the meantime, if my attempt doesn’t work on any given night, I haven’t banned myself from turning the TV on if it’s what’s going to work for me. Some sleep is better than no sleep, right?
3) Make your resolutions affordable. Amidst all of the New Year’s excitement, I think many forget to think about the long-term costs of their resolutions. Financial health is important and could be a goal for the year in and of itself! If you set “travel more” as a resolution for the year but don’t have the means to fund your intended trips, you’re going to need to reconcile that. And it’s not just the monetary costs that you should be considering--do you have the time to devote to that level of travel planning? Will that trip mean you have to miss a friend’s wedding or an elderly relative’s birthday? How much is the resolution worth to you? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but if you haven’t thought about these things before you commit, you’re probably going to run into some trouble down the road.
4) Build in a plan to reassess. Nowhere in the definition of “resolute” did it say that you can’t build in a reassessment date. You may have a plan in your head for how the year will go, but there are no guarantees. By building in a day of the year on which you’ll sit down and honestly assess whether your goals and means to reach them are still the same, you’re not only sticking to your resolution but allowing it to grow and change at the same rate you do! Building that flexibility in can also make you feel less wishy-washy if you’re used to making rules for yourself instead of resolutions.
5) Pick resolutions you can build on next year. What’s better than the gift...err...resolution that keeps on giving!? If you’ve got lofty aspirations that are unlikely to be achieved in one year, then maybe you should resolve to accomplish step one this year and then keep the momentum going when 2018 rolls around. How awesome will you feel in 5 or 6 years knowing that small, intentional shifts led to massive achievement? It’s like you’re leveling up every time the calendar hits January 1st! And remember, you don't have to wait until the new year to make resolutions! If you easily meet your goals by June, set new ones! Just do so with the same amount of thoughtful consideration you're giving right now.
6) Prioritize you! Yes, as a holistic wellness center, we do have a vested interested in your self-care. But we're here doing this work because it's important and we love it, not just because it's lucrative. And, you know, if 2017 is anything like 2016, you probably need a regular yoga class and standing massage appointment anyway, right? View our class schedule or make an appointment today!
