As everyone begins to celebrate the holidays and the new year is fastly approaching, here we go with all the new year resolutions. What am I going to change this year? How is this year going to be different than last year? Why do we wait until the new year to work on ourselves? Every day we wake up is another day to work on ourselves and reflect on our lives. Who told us to wait for the new year to make these changes? Some of us might not have the luxury of making it to the new year. It's time for us to have the attitude of gratitude and began working on ourselves now.
Everything you hate about yourself, everything you want to change about you begins today. Cut the crap and stop making excuses (myself included). We can't afford to waste another day to make positive changes in our lives. I think our problem is we set these really high expectations and become discouraged when we don't meet them and we tell ourselves forget it, I can't do it, and we give up. We don't have to start big. If your New Years resolution is to lose weight start small, take baby steps. Instead of saying I need to lose 50 pounds start off by saying this week I aim to lose 3 pounds. If your goal is to take personal care of yourself start with setting aside five minutes alone time, and then slowly begin to increase each week. It is a process to unlearn bad behavior but everything is a practice. We must consistently work at it each day even when we don't feel like it. Sometimes I don't feel like doing anything, but nothing gets you nothing results.
For many of us, we are learning how to parent ourselves. Not that our parents didn't do a good job but if you're like me, trying to teach yourself how to be disciplined and consistent, can be extremely difficult when you have become comfortable doing it the same old way even though you know it has not been working. I have made excuses about why I still haven't lost the baby weight and my daughter is 8 years old. I would get motivated and inspired, get up early, go to the gym or work out at home and then all of a sudden a birthday would come up or an event would happen and I would overeat and all of a sudden I set myself back. How do I expect my children to win if I am not winning? Enough is enough, its time to stop hiding and become the person you have always wanted to be. If you mess up its ok, get back up and try again. You will make mistakes just don't give up. Here are a few pointers below that will help you to get started:
1) Change the words you speak to yourself. Life and death are in the power of the tongue.
2) Be grateful, take time to appreciate the things that are going well in your life (it could be worse)
3) Choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice.
4) Remove what is no longer working for you, including people.
5) Start creating a daily routine or ritual.
6) Celebrate all your little wins.
7) Don't worry about other people and what they're doing, you keep doing you.
8) There is no greater feeling than helping other people, whether it's sharing your time, giving back to your community or helping those in need.
9) Take time off of social media occasionally. People are only posting what they want you to see.
We have to learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable if we desire to see change. It is our innate being that craves structure, order, and discipline. No one is promised tomorrow if we are going to live let's begin to live our best life now. Many of us have lost loved ones and for one reason or another, we are still here. Let us make the best of what we have and do it afraid. Happy New year to all!
