So, what’s your new year’s resolution?
We don’t have to let a bad day turn into a bad week, month, or turn into us throwing the entire year away (I’m looking at you, 2020.)
January 1, 2021
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For whatever reason, it is a cultural norm that people will ask you that question. We want to know – what are you working on? What do you want to do better? What thing or activity do you want to attack in the New Year?
A daunting task, really.
After I’ve…
Spent all the money I saved all year long on last minute shopping trips for Christmas.
Stuffed my face full of the heartiest meals and washed them down with the most sugary delights.
Packed on a nice 10 holiday pounds because I didn’t get to the gym as much since Thanksgiving.
Just remembered that the holiday school break is almost over and I am going to have to go back to supporting my virtual learners.
…NOW, I am supposed to take a good look at myself and decide what area of my life needs a little extra refinement.
We really are gluttons for punishment. BUT, hey – we love traditions & super-duper love the idea that maybe, one day, we can become versions of ourselves that we like better.
“New Year, New Me.”
If you’re totally gung-ho about your resolution, then, by all means – BALL. OUT.
However, if you’re not so sure about what you want to work or don’t even know if you want to commit to anything at all – I get it. I mean after all, we all said 2020 was going to be our year.
Below is a short list of some things that might help you out in your journey to start and sustain positive changes.
***And pro-tip, I’d give myself until Monday, January 4th to REALLY start my resolution – no one starts anything on a Friday***
JUST START
As an avid fan of Connor Sherman & The Glockner Enterprises production, the “Local Legends Podcast” (I have listened to every. episode.), I have noticed a theme from the exceptional small-town people that have been guests in regards to tackling your vision - “Just start.”
Your initial actions are not going to look like mastery.
Your starting phase is not going to resemble the finished product.
Your first step is not a completion of your journey.
…but you’re never going to make it to mastery, a finished product, or completion – if you don’t JUST. START.
BABY STEPS
At The Counseling Center, we are fortunate to have a robust Health and Wellness Program equipped with a full-time Health Coach, Heith Gray. Heith’s role within our agency is to meet with individuals to help them work towards any sort of health or fitness goal they may have.
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 1,000 times – “He’s going to make me eat broccoli and do burpees, isn’t he?”
Heith’s, despite what people’s fears may be, is not based in the sudden upheaval of their current routines; in totally changing absolutely everything someone is doing; in making you only drink water, only eat greens, and doing 10 Burpees every-minute, on the minute all day long.
Rather health coaching at TCC is based on making small, incremental changes that are meaningful – but not earth shattering; that are alterations to old patterns, but not so drastic that they are not sustainable.
To start the process of change, we don’t need to commit to 3 mile runs every day; stopping smoking, cold turkey; drinking a gallon of what before 6pm.
Baby steps – 10 minute walks. 1 less cigarette. 1 more bottle of water.
JUST FOR TODAY
Giving a nod to the 12-Step ideologies on this one.
Looking at doing something “forever”, or in this case, doing something for an entire year can be an overwhelming presumption. The 12-Step suggestion, rather than looking at what awaits in the next year, month, or week – that we turn our focus to the 24 hours ahead.
It’s like the old saying goes, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
Taking our focus from the entire task at hand and looking at the next steps in the process helps give ourselves a fighting chance to stay in the fight.
Rather than putting yourself on a contract for the entire year, think about the daily agreement to stay true to your small, achievable goals.
THE GET BACK
Change is not linear.
You are going to have days and times when you falter from your plan and are not true to your future self that you want to be; that’s the human part – probably the root of where resolutions come in the first place. You want to be better – you don’t like that part of you that gave in.
The good news is, a bad moment is not a bad life.
We don’t have to let a bad day turn into a bad week, month, or turn into us throwing the entire year away (I’m looking at you, 2020.)
Meathead Millionaire Mark Bell says it best, “You’re only one meal away from being back on your diet.”
Don’t let small setbacks take you all the way out of the game - get back to it.
If you or someone you love is struggling and wants to make some changes in the New Year, please reach out to us.
We encourage you to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we continue to share our thoughts and practices in the business of Mental Healthcare. If you or someone you love is in need of behavioral treatment of any kind–reach us at 740.354.6685 or 24/7 on the Crisis Hotline 740.354.1010.
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