It’s that time of the year when we start with those impossible to keep ‘absolutes’ – I will lose weight, I will not shout at the kids…sound familiar? Instead of feeling like a failure the minute you cannot keep to one of your new resolutions, why not try something different instead…
There is nothing like being filled with the buzz of making a goal…but the reality is that human nature means we cannot apply rigid self discipline 100% of the time. So that goal of losing 10kg will generally fall by the wayside and then we beat ourselves up about that.
If we use the example above, wouldn’t it be more helpful to try to develop better habits instead – I know walking is good for me, so I try to do it more and then it follows that I feel like eating more healthily. The weight loss focus then recedes into the background, but may become a healthy side effect instead.
Rather than obsessing about resolutions, try thinking about what matters to you. Maybe its health, or family. What would help to improve these in 2018; what habits could you develop to try to enrich them?
Some other, more compassionate resolutions could be to listen to your body more; disengage with news feeds that affect you negatively; be more accepting of past failures and regrets…the list goes on but you get the message: make 2018 the year you practice more personal compassion and less self-criticism.
Happy New Year!
