Believe it or not, we’re barreling like a freight train towards that time of year when your social media feeds will be flooded with all manner of “new year, new you” nonsense. Well my friend, here’s the truth about new year, new you…
THE TRUTH ABOUT “NEW YEAR, NEW YOU”
It’s complete and utter bullshit. Don’t buy into the hype. Sometimes the motives behind the statement are pure & positive, but often it’s nothing more than a marketing ploy to convince you to buy whatever it is that will transform you into a shiny sparkly new you.
Either way, you my lovely, are absolutely perfect just the way you are. The last thing you need while you’re sitting there all snuggled up under a blanket enjoying your secret stash of holiday cookies with some hot chocolate is someone getting all up in your business telling you, or at least inferring that, you need to change. That the current you is somehow inferior. That you need a “new you”.
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for having goals & working towards improving ourselves in whatever ways make sense for us. I’m doing that every single day. It’s actually exciting to work on making changes that will improve ourselves and by default, our lives. But the important thing to keep in mind when working on ourselves is this, while specific habits or behaviors might need tweaked, there is not a single damn thing wrong with who we are right now in this moment. You are a fabulous sparkly ball of badass awesomeness the likes of which exists nowhere else on the planet. And don’t you forget it.
HOW ABOUT THIS INSTEAD?
Now that you know the truth about “new year, new you” let’s try something different, shall we?
- Compare yourself…to yourself. Instead of looking to everyone else’s highlight reels, try looking at your own. No matter who you are, you have come a long damn way from whatever your origin story is. Life has molded you, shaped you & kicked your ass into the fiercely incredible woman that you are today. Seriously, think about how far you’ve come over the course of your life. Whether you’re 25 or 75 I guarantee you that you’ve grown & changed & learned amazing things during your years on this planet. The woman that you are today is a wiser, deeper & more beautiful version of who you started out as. Never ever forget how far you’ve come.
- The real joy is in the moments. I know I say this all the time, but that’s because it’s true. Yes, it’s important to be working towards the future we dream about for ourselves. But no matter what your goals might be, there is no final destination that you’ll ever reach that will provide you with all the time happiness. We all have a setpoint that we return to after the initial euphoria wears off. And then we’re onto to the next bright shiny goal. Don’t be so focused on the “better” future that you miss out on living your life. Remind yourself to focus on the kind of life you want to be living right now, in this present moment. The real secret to going after our goals is that while we’re doing it, we need to enjoy the journey. Always be on the lookout for the unexpected little confetti bombs of joy that pop up in the everyday. That’s where the happiness is. That’s where life happens…in the present moment.
- You can start working on growing, changing & improving your habits, behaviors and your life any damn time you choose. Who says that January is the end all be all of beginning a self-improvement journey? Yes, it does provide a nice clean blank slate to start new things if that do-over aspect appeals to you. But so does, um…Monday. Any Monday. Every Monday. All year ’round. And for all you rebels in the crowd, how about starting fresh on some random Tuesday in say…April? My point is, why put so much unnecessary pressure on yourself? Especially in January? As my sisters who live in the more northern regions of the planet can attest, January f*cking sucks. It’s frigid cold. It’s miserable. And I swear to God, it’s actually 4 months long.
So how about this year instead of obsessing over how we’re in some way lacking, we spend January all warm & snuggly, basking in & appreciating the awesomeness of who we are? Right here. Right now.
And maybe, only if you’re feelin’ it, working on tweaking the habits that will help get you to where you’re headed. Not because it’s January. Not because you’re not good enough. But because you deserve to be the woman you want to be, living the life you’ve always wanted to live while enjoying the trip to get there.
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