01/01/2025
A New Year Doesn’t Require You to Burn Yourself Out.
While the start of a new year is an exciting time to reflect on the previous year and set goals for the year ahead, it does not mean you must drastically change your life as soon as the clock hits 12:00 am on January 1st.
Many of us overwhelm ourselves with setting a list of goals like exercising more, eating healthier, trying new hobbies, etc. While these are great goals and intentions, it can set us up for failure when we try to change so many things at the same time. Not only are we overwhelmed with all of these changes, but if we aren’t able to stick to them we can fall into a very tough cycle of guilt, shame, and disappointment in ourselves. This can greatly impact our mindset and mental health.
To be realistic, we must realize that winter just began. Days are much shorter. Many of us are not getting enough sunlight. We are grieving loved ones who weren’t around for the holidays. Some of us have been hosting, traveling, taking care of kids who are out of their normal routine for winter break, and dealing with everyday life stressors on top of that.
Winter is a time where life slows down. We find ourselves staying inside a lot more. The intrinsic nature of winter calls for us to rest, relax, and seek the things that bring us nourishment and comfort internally in contrast to the harsh environment outside.
Setting goals is great, but if you don’t feel called to drastically transform your life just because everyone else is, don’t feel bad about it. You don’t need a new year to set goals, and you don’t need to set new goals just because it’s a new year.