New Year's Re(v)olution
Many of us will be making - and breaking - New Year’s Resolutions just about now. There is something beautiful about the hope of a fresh start and a mark in time when it’s normal to decide we want more, when we resolve to change habits toward living more healthfully and happily. The most common resolutions -- based on at least 5 separate googles -- are to exercise more, save money, and eat healthier. If I were a gambling woman, I'd put my money on another top resolution: less time spent on social media and scrolling the internet.
Although these declarations are well-intended, it is very tough to change habits that have systematically been wired into our brains for decades. Sadly, over half of us fail quickly at our resolutions. This can lead to states of guilt, shame, and the cynical resolution to never make a New Year’s Resolution again!
I suggest a new way to see the term "New Year’s Resolution" -- how about a New Year’s Revolution (cute, huh?). Let me explain by sharing a definition of the word revolution. One online dictionary defines it as: “a dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works, is organized or in people’s ideas about it”. In the political sense, a revolution is not merely about overthrowing a leader but about overthrowing the thoughts, beliefs and actions that govern us. Similarly, a revolution for the New Year may need to include a dramatic change in the way we organize our lives and how we work and think about ourselves.
What I like about seeing our resolutions this way is that it acknowledges how challenging it can be to change a habit, and confirms that there are systems that will need to be created to replace the habit. For those of us who want to lose weight, it’s the same thing. There is a brand-new narrative that we need to incorporate about how we relate food, sustenance and activity to keep this behavior change successful. Either we do this, or we quickly FIND that weight we lost when we used our limited willpower to stick to the diet or exercise regime that we resolved to do.
For anyone who wants their resolution to turn into an internal revolution that lasts, I suggest looking at it as a longer-term construction project. I'm particularly proud this past year about how I've taken on some of my resolutions as a longer term project. Rather than resolving to lose weight again last year, I decided to see that I was just fine the way I was (revolutionary approach), and began to take small daily steps to get more active, eat less junk, and love my body. Along with having noticeably less negative and shameful thinking about myself and more effective positive and encouraging thoughts, I also see that I've spent $300 less (yes, I track all my spending) on what I call junk/binge foods and increased my steps 2000 more /month than last year.
I find it beautiful that humans can and do transform. We grow, we learn, we create new habits. It’s just a little more complicated and takes consciously placed effort. Happy New Year and may you enjoy the process of turning over the next year!
TIP: Join a group or hire a coach (ahem...) to help hold you accountable to your transformation and be with you on the journey! There are TONS of online or in person support groups for just about anything.
TIP: If you are naming resolutions for yourself, pick something small to do daily or weekly as part of the bigger resolution, write it down, and tell a friend. You probably need to pick something even smaller than you think!