This might come as a surprise but, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I gave up making them a few years ago because this practice wasn’t working for me. My list of resolutions would always be…let’s say “ambitious.” Ha! I’d enter the new year motivated and well-intentioned, but as soon as I experienced one set-back I’d fall off the wagon entirely. Anyone else do that, too?! If this sounds like you, I hope you’ll join me in setting a theme for 2021 instead.
A friend and mentor shared with me that instead of resolutions, she creates a theme for the year. Brilliant! I fell in love with this idea immediately and have been practicing it for a few years now. Setting a theme for the year is more effective practice for me because it’s simple and more sustainable. Rather than focusing on a laundry list of individual resolutions, I focus on incorporating my theme for the year into the different aspects of life.
My theme for 2020 was “redefine” because I needed to redefine my sense of self-worth and what success and happiness meant to me. In 2019, my theme was “intention” because I wanted to navigate my relationships, marriage, work and caring for myself with more purpose instead of on auto-pilot.
My theme for 2021 is…
Why consistency? Similar to keeping New Year’s resolutions, I struggle to stay consistent when it comes to healthy habits. I can be good for the short term but the motivation and discipline to create a habit or a routine quickly fades away.
Examples of My Past Failures:
- Some mornings I get up at 5 and others I’ll press snooze for hours. Literally, hours.
- I work out a few days a week, but not every day. (I’m also guilty of “donating” to various gyms/fitness studios)
- Food is always an issue. For example, I’ve never made it through a Whole 30. My best attempt lasted 14 days and my worst was 16 hours. I once hid in the bathroom at work on “National Grilled Cheese Day” so my coworkers (who were also doing Whole30) didn’t see me scarf down two sandwiches.
- At the beginning of the week, I’ll say I’m not having a drink until Friday. But after a rough Tuesday, I’m reaching for the wine.
I could go on but I think this list is embarrassing enough! Between quarantine and working from home, I feel like I have no excuses anymore. It’s time for me to get my act together! More than anything, in 2021 I want to create a routine of healthy habits that I can stick to consistently.
I’m still working on a gameplan for how I’ll accomplish this goal, so more to come on that!
In the meantime, what is your theme for 2021? Let me know what you want to focus on in the new year. I’m here to support you and cheer you on any way I can.
You’ve got this!
Lauren
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