A Better Approach to New Beginnings

Two days, sixteen hours, until a new year. A symbol of new beginnings, especially after the year 2020 has thrown at us.

However...

A new beginning is given to us each and every day. 

New Year's resolutions are often big and lofty. Too often, some give up on those goals before the calendar turns to February.

But what if we were more forgiving of ourselves, and what if we allowed ourselves to celebrate the smaller victories of renewal each and every day?

What if I woke up this morning, and said I'm going to do better than I did yesterday, when I ate too much of the Christmas candy...

And told myself, it's okay that you ate too much Christmas candy, as long as you don't make it a habit.

What if I woke up this morning and said I'm going to get more movement into my days...

And told myself, it's okay that you laid on the couch for several days after Christmas, just reading or watching movies. It's okay that you allowed your body to rest after some seasonal chaos.

Friends, we all have days when we are not at our best. Too often, I found myself on those days thinking I was stuck in the mire, slugging through without much hope for positive change. My habit became listening to that inner voice that said, "Just stay where you are."

I am so grateful for other voices who cared enough to speak into my life, to let me know that it was okay to celebrate small victories, to take some risks, and to break things down into smaller steps. Those voices finally began to break through, and my habit became listening to them, until I was able to talk to myself in that way as well.

Dear friends, at the end of this unprecedented year, please allow me to be a voice of encouragement for you. You are not stuck, you can make positive change in your life. You can still grow, no matter what age or stage you're at.

Give yourself grace for the days you need to just lay on the couch, but be resolved that it's only a moment in time, and that each day brings the opportunity to take better care of yourself, to challenge yourself, and to become the you that you were created to be.

Rather than make some crazy off the charts New Year's "resolution," what is a goal that you want to meet in the coming year? 

Write that goal down and place it where you can see it every day. On the same note, write down one small step you can begin to work on to reach your goal, and let someone else know, so they can help you be accountable. 

For example, I was chronically dehydrated. My goal was to improve my health by drinking more water. My first step was to download an app to keep track of my water intake and add one more daily glass of water each week.

Ok, I guess technically that's two steps, but finding and downloading the app took less than 5 minutes.😉

 Simple, but effective.

This is how change happens. Small, consistent steps. Positive growth. New habits formed. 

So, what's that goal you want to achieve, and what's your first small step in the direction of positive change? Please comment below. 

Don't wait till January 1st to start. Let us celebrate and encourage each other here and now!