Some of us had been counting down the days, waiting for a new year to come. While simultaneously, many of us had no clue to where the past year went. I don’t know about you, but I am already aggravated thinking about the number of the same old “new year, new me” speeches I’ve been scrolling past on my social media timelines.
The thing that gets me is the notion that all of your issues will magically disappear with the arrival of a new year. Now don’t get me wrong; I love the idea of a fresh start. I am in full support of making positive changes and making a conscious effort to leave negativity and bad habits in the past. However, I wish that we would all, myself included, acknowledge the fact that every moment is a new one.
Rather than flooding social media with rants about all of the people who have wronged us, and how this year we won’t be accepting less than we deserve, I would like to encourage you all to join me in taking a long hard look in the mirror. Let’s stop with the general public service announcements declaring how fantastic life is going to be. Instead, we should redirect that energy into really appreciating the gift of a new day, and making the most of it.
I did not decide to share this post with you all to vent about how annoying I find these New Years’ speeches. I wanted to write this to remind, encourage, and empower all of you to embrace each new moment as an opportunity to do whatever it is that you want to do. If you are struggling with your weight, you don’t need to wait until a new year is approaching to follow through with the decision to get in shape. If you are battling an addiction like alcoholism, smoking, or substance abuse, you have the power to quit right now. You do not need a new year to become a new you!
So I implore you to be different. Save the Facebook statuses and Instagram stories, and instead get real with yourself and make a real commitment to your growth. I can’t tell you how many years I spent the month of December planning all of the things that I would do differently as soon as January hit. When the reality is that once you realize what needs to be done, all you need to do is take the first step. There will never be a perfect time to kick a bad habit, and I assure you that there will always be a reason to delay the process of change.
I used to think that by posting things for everyone else to see, that it would keep me accountable. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect and just made me feel more upset with myself for not following through. It is easy to throw your hands up and submit to defeat when you divert from the new path that you were so looking forward to following.
Don’t be bummed if you don’t make it to the gym five days a week. Instead, focus on the fact that you actually made it twice and be proud because that is two times more than you went the week prior. Don’t be weighed down by the burden of a New Year’s resolution and the pressure of becoming an entirely new person. Ditch the “new year, new me” and embrace each new day as another opportunity for self-improvement.
Let’s strive for progress, not perfection this year, and take a moment somewhere along the way to celebrate each small step as the victory that it truly is!
