Saying No To The Typical New Years Resolutions.

I love the new year as much as the next gal.

I love the mentality of a fresh start, setting goals, moving forward.

But I always seem to put a lot of pressure on my new year’s self. Like it’s the job of new year me to pick up the slack on the last year. Okay self, you kind of sucked this past year, so in this new year you need to do all of this stuff, ok? 

Oh my gosh it makes me tired just thinking about all that pressure.

Every year, listing the things I need to do better, do differently. It’s not very encouraging. In fact, I often feel burnt out before I’ve even begun. My expectations set so high, come crumbling down at the first ounce of failure. And then comes the shame. Well, Lizz, you’ve done it again. Another year of failure, missing the mark.

I won’t do it another year.

So this year I wonder how different it would be if maybe we partnered with ourselves a little bit more. Gave ourselves a little bit of a loving pep-talk instead of a strict diet, or an out-of-our-control achievement, or expecting things from ourselves that we are not ready to give.

I am going into the new year with baby steps, not leaps and bounds.

I am going to partner with myself on this life journey instead of expecting myself to move mountains just because the date changes.

Our resolutions don’t have to be a list of things screaming “You’re going to do better this year!”. 

Instead they can be gentle encouragements to ourselves. Set structure, sure. Join the gym, get a new water bottle, carve out an hour every day to work out. But give yourself a few set days off as well.

My old resolution voice might be saying to me this year, “seriously, you have to publish a book! Get a better job. You need to be doing devotions more. You definitely have to be in more plays. Run another half marathon. Blog every day, no matter what, no breaks EVER. Do better! Be better! Love better! Create more! It’s not enough, it’s never enough, Lizz. YOU MUST BE BETTER!

 Oh Good Lord, no more!

This year my new year’s resolution is to pursue my own physical, emotional, and spiritual health by listening closely to my own needs. I will chase after my love of creating no matter where that takes me, letting go of lofty expectations, and stepping into the fear. I will continue to love, learn, and humble myself in all of my relationships. I will give myself grace, and speak kindly into my fears and moments that feel like failures. I will take it all moment by moment. I will work toward trusting myself to know what’s best, remembering that the Holy Spirit is with me and flows through me. Above all else, I will love myself and give myself grace for all of life’s hard moments.

Happiest of New Year’s to all of you, my faithful readers and friends. It is a privilege to share life with you. I pray that as we move into what next year has for us,  we will all be so very gentle with ourselves.