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 top three resolutions according to Forbe’s Health for 2024 were improved fitness (48%), improved finances (38%) and improved mental health
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 phrase New Year’s Resolution -- how about New Year’s Revolution (cute, huh?). Let me explain by sharing a definition of the word revolution: 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 that entire systems 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.
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. It’s a longer-term construction project rather than a simple fix. One thing that can help is to put in an hour or two of time at the end of the year for harvesting and reflection (see my end of year reflection guides) is one way to increase your success for setting do-able goals for the next year as well.
If you want support on your journey, I’m available for a 20-minute discovery call to assess our fit and share how coaching can help you hold you accountable to your transformation and be with you on the journey!
Happy New Year to you!