New Year, New You?

Flipping over into a new year has often felt like the twilight zone some years. There is this immense pressure to completely change up all the things you didn't like about the previous year, and to change all the things about you as you head into the new year. I'm sure you've been inundated with all the ads as I have been. Start this workout program, get this cellulite cream, eat more like this, do this, do that and as a result you'll be happier and sexier this next year. Talk about making us feeling inadequate. While I have nothing against taking better care of ourselves, in fact I'm all for that, what I'm not a fan of is the overbearing message that you, right now, are not good enough. If you don't change all these things, you will not be happy. The thing I've discovered over the years, especially with making "resolutions" for a new year, is that the more changes I try to make, the more things I try to add into my life, the less likely I am to do....any of them.

It becomes far too overwhelming to start eating a new way, start a new workout program, start reading a book a week, start getting up at 5am, start cold plunging, start praying for an hour, start, start, start.

Even if someone is a superhuman (which I'm sorry to say, there are no such people in real life), we can't handle so much change, even if it's all good change, all at once! I believe every resolution has good intentions, but many of us end up feeling like we've failed (I raise my hand here) when the end of the year comes and we look back on those resolutions and realize we changed exactly nothing, or very little. If you're like me, you have aspirations to have more routine, to keep a tidier house, to take better care of yourself, to utilize the days more fully, to scroll less, to move more. They are admirable aspirations, but they need to be approached in baby steps. Each of these things need to become a habit in our psyche. Things we do without thinking about them. Non-negotiable parts of our days. But that will never happen if you try to do them all at once.

I've learned that a small, tangible, attainable step towards ONE new habit is the best approach to the change we wish to see in our lives. You read that right, one step. One small step. One step you know you can make in your life right now in the season you are in. A 1 degree shift. Sometimes this shift can seem insignificant to the bigger picture, but often times the building of one small, new habit can be the stepping stone to the next habit you need to see some real change in your life. 1 degree shifts turn into 180 degree turns. And it can happen almost imperceptibly because it is gradual, it feels natural, and you aren't stressed out while doing it. For example, I have a lofty goal of having a morning routine that fills my tank and sets me up to tackle the rest of the day. This morning routine, in my head, in extravagant and perhaps unattainable, but nevertheless, it's a goal for this type A, disciplined personality over here.

Here's what it looks like: -Get up at 5:00am

-Spend 45 minutes reading the Bible/praying/spending time with God

-Work out for 30 min - 1 hour (depending on the workout)

-Cold plunge 2-5 minutes

-Shower

-Read 5-10 pages of a personal development book

-Write a few pages of my book

-Eat breakfast

-Make a hot beverage and start homeschool This morning routine is lofty. Will I get there one day? I do hope so, but it has to start somewhere. I already have a good workout routine in place, and that's about it. The next most important aspect of my mornings is spending time with the Lord, in the Word and praying. To me that is critical for a healthy start to the day. What's one thing I could implement in my life that could help facilitate this morning routine I so desire or even facilitate adding in the important aspect of time with God? It's actually not anything in that list you see. What will really set me up for a great morning routine, is a fixed and steady bedtime. I can't get up at 5am and have energy to do anything if I go to bed at midnight or even 11:00pm the night before. So the first 1 degree shift I'm working on for myself is getting to bed between 9:30/10:00pm every night. Perhaps wakeup time will be 6:00am for a while. I don't need to jump into 5am, but I need good sleep. When I create a good bedtime habit and stick to it, it sets me up for a start to a good morning time ritual/habit. Once the habit is solidified, I can adjust as needed to allow for waking up earlier and then implementing another part of my morning routine goals. So as we head into another year, instead of all the lofty resolutions you may have, what is one small shift, one small habit you can implement into your life that will set you on the track to the big change you want to see? Once that habit is solidified and you do it without even thinking, then it's time to implement a second small shift. That's where real change happens, in all the small changes you make throughout the year.

A quote I love is "small hinges swing big doors". Isn't that the truth. So let's all go into 2024 again with a small hinge change we set out to make a habit. I know you can do it. Happy New Year to you! Let's make 2024 a good one! xo Aryn