Keep It Simple Silly
Get Back To Your Resolution! Simplify Your Path To Success.
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Let’s rewind back to just before New Year’s Eve...
The New Year is on the horizon and you become exhilarated with the breath of fresh beginnings. Starting the year off strong with the thought bubble floating in the mind of a better self 💭 On day one you finally do the thing, feeling empowered with the realization that starting is the hardest part.
The good habit continues for another couple of weeks and then you decide to treat yourself to an “off” day. You proudly tell yourself, “I’ve been doing so good, I’ll skip today and pick back up tomorrow!” Tomorrow becomes a carrot on a stick for a few days until…
poof!
Your goal has eluded you already and we’re not even a month into the year…
It’s okay, you’re not alone. Anywhere from 50 to 80% of resolution-setters give up on their goals by the second Friday in January according to Forbes and National Today. This is so common that the second Friday of the year is coined as Quitter’s Day.
It’s not your fault though! It’s easy to fall into the trap of negative thinking. With the New Year's resolution topic alone, think about how many times you’ve shared your goal and heard things like, “Ha. Good luck with that," Resolutions are cliche!” or, “Did you give up yet?” And that’s not including the times that you decided to share your deepest dreams, aspirations, and ideas with others.
And it’s not directly their fault either. It’s common to measure one’s own success or failure by the rate of others. We hear negativity from others, watch them forego their goals, and it becomes easy to forget about our own. Achieving the goal seems so far away, meanwhile, we keep one foot in the past and let the normal patterns take over. Fear of defeat and pressure set in.
I’ve heard people joke so many times that February is when the real resolution journey begins because January is more of a “trial run.” Teetering on one’s goals this time of year makes sense since January got its name from the god, Janus. Depicted as a 2 headed person with one head facing forward towards new beginnings, and the other facing backward in reflection.
It’s okay to not nail it this first time every time. It’s how you proceed that makes you.
Failure provides an opportunity for us!
Since it’s the season of reflection, take a look at the goal you set for yourself. Could it have been simplified or more specific? Were you depriving or rewarding yourself? How can it be refined to become more attainable?
It’s never too late to start practicing better habits if a better you is what you’re after. If you’re overwhelmed and falling off track with your goals, it’s okay! Let’s simplify the Top 3 resolutions this year to create an easier plan and succeed together.
Top 3 Desired Goals For 2023… Simplified:
Improve Mental Health
According to the polls linked above, ~50% of people aged 18 to 41 want to improve their mental health this year. According to the CDC, more than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness within their lifetime. How interesting those numbers add up. That means almost all the individuals suffering from mental illness are making it their first priority in 2023. How beautifully this shows how important mental health awareness truly is.
Thankfully, it’s much more popular to speak up on this nowadays. However, support in your day-to-day still might be hard to find, or maybe you’re suffering silently having not been diagnosed yet... Some can be debilitating and affect physical health and loved ones as well. There are questions and confusion about why, medications, and how to cope. Maybe it’s a mild case of anxiety or depression and is fortunate enough to self-manage.
But how?
Simplify:
I maintain my mental health by surrounding myself with everything I love and that makes me happy. If you always put others ahead of yourself or ignore your own interests and dreams, eventually the soul tires of it, and your mental health can suffer. Reflect on whether or not you’re allowing some time for yourself. When was the last time you did something fun or outside of your comfort zone? Learned a new skill or treated yourself?
Yoga, meditation, gratitude journals, sure! With consistency, those are excellent ways to help improve mental health. It’s so important to listen to your mind, body, and soul and those options help to align all 3. But it’s not necessarily for everyone. Everybody is different so therefore how we all find happiness is different. For me, I find peace in DIY projects. Go sign up for that dance class you’ve always wanted to do. Try an art or cooking class. Take up a houseplant hobby. Fun Fact, performing plant-related tasks can physically release serotonin and boosts mood and creativity levels, amongst other benefits!
Sometimes you just need a little jolt to routine or a hobby to focus on. Even once-a-week or monthly classes give you something to look forward to when the days are long. But remember to give yourself some grace, monks are not enlightened overnight.
Tips For Success
Make time for yourself… Read a book, get a mani, take a bath, etc.
Do something YOU like… A hobby or classes
Don’t get hung up on the expectations of others
Clean up your social media and follow more pages that pertain to your own interests
Yeah, I know it’s February and this is technically a Halloween DIY Video. BUT Halloween makes me happy so it’s a good time as any 🙃
Improve Physical Health
There’s no doubt about it, exercise is important if you want to lead a healthy life. Maybe you had a health scare or are trying to lose weight, either way, it’s not an easy road. It’s been a physical, mental, and emotional journey away from good health, and returning has its many challenges as well. We’re bombarded by this beauty paradigm, new “diets”, weight loss pills or programs, and CrossFit gyms seem to be breeding.
You have your target goal in mind but just can’t seem to get there. You hear about what other people do or say is the best method, and you try to fit yourself into that mold… Did you know nearly 70% of gym memberships go unused? That’s a lot of wasted money! Everything is trial and error. 🤸This person says “this is good” or “this is bad for you,” but ultimately you need to decide what is right for you.
Simplify:
Do what feels and sounds good to you. If gyms are scary, try at-home exercises, go for a walk, take up hula hooping, etc. Sign up for Zumba, kickboxing, or indoor swimming… I think you get the point. In this present day, there are so many methods of exercise that you can customize how you improve your physical health. Do this in a way that is the most fun for you. 💃
Don’t get hung up with the number on the scale, or compare yourself to another. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, so own your beauty! It’s perfectly healthy to admire someone else’s image, but use that as a motivator to be the fittest for your body type. Self-sabotage happens when you get down on yourself because you’ll “never look like them.” And they will never look like you! That’s a wonderful thing… The world would be so boring if we all looked the same. Think about how many times you found someone attractive for their own features and energy. Now consider how many times others have thought that of you.
Tips For Success:
Define your goal. Break it down into short and long-term if needed
Start slow! Don't over-commit. Pay for a drop-in before signing that membership contract
Pick a method that suits your personality
Get yourself an accountability partner- Working out with a friend is much more fun!
Eat Healthier
This doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself or making drastic changes. You don’t have to jump right into veganism or a paleo diet. The word “diet” has a negative connotation that it’s only for weight loss, which means you can’t eat what you really want to eat, and are often unsuccessful. Diet simply means what you eat, not what you don’t. And just like mental and physical health, this looks different for each individual. What’s healthy and works for one, for another it poses an allergy risk, intolerance, or nutritional deficiency.
I wish I had this advice when I was younger… years ago it was in my head that if I cut out bread and pasta I was going to be healthier. The reality was that I wasn’t… Quitting anything cold turkey can oftentimes have the opposite effect, causing people to binge or even effect mental health. All of a sudden telling yourself you can’t eat the things you love, you’re already feeling defeated and down. It’s much harder to succeed when you’re avoiding what you love so practice moderation and healthier portion sizes.
Simplify
Start slow. Are you noticing a trend? Try improving just one meal a day whether it’s breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner. If you usually skip breakfast, try to start eating something in the morning, even if it’s just a smoothie or yogurt. Too much red meat, not enough produce? Try chicken or seafood salads and wraps, or start by adding one more serving of fresh fruit or vegetables to your day. You don’t have to cut things out entirely but maybe you just need a healthier relationship with the foods in which you overindulge, and incorporate more of the foods that you don’t get enough of.
It’s all about balance.
Pay attention to how certain foods make you feel. Do you feel energized or lethargic? Are you experiencing heartburn or an upset tummy? How’s your skin reacting? These are clues to what your body is liking and what it’s not liking. Just because this diet over here says “carbs are bad avoid them at all costs!” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take this with a grain of salt… no pun intended. Use trial and error to find the right combinations to keep your nutritional health on the up and up.
Tips For Success:
Healthify one meal at a time
Listen to your body
Practice a healthier relationship with how often and portion sizes
Add rather than avoid, It’s better to reward yourself rather than deprive yourself
Moderation is the key to everything- less is more but none is none ☹️
Main Take-Aways
Slow down. Listen to your body. Make it work for you and make it fun. Goals don't have to be scary and discouraging. Plan it out, set short, mid, and long-term goals, and always reward yourself when you achieve one! If you’re overwhelmed with your goals, just focus on one thing at a time
Remember To:
K - Keep
I - It
S - Simple
S - Silly 😘
Mel Robbins once shared the perfect analogy… Envision being a kid with a new box of legos with an awesome picture of the intended build on the front of the box. Excitedly you dump out all the contents and your excitement quickly turns to overwhelm. You think to yourself, “where the hell am I going to start!?”
By picking up one block at a time. Eventually, you will succeed and will have built yourself to match the goal in your mind. Give yourself grace and know it’s okay to fall off track every now and then, just as long as you find your way back. And never be afraid to seek help if it’s needed whether it’s from a doctor, family, friends, or a community. We all need support so don’t think you have to go it alone.
You Can Do This!
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