It’s January 2022. How do you feel about that? Are you excited? Are you nervous? Or are you wondering what the fuss is all about?
Some people get a little down this time of year because this is when we (usually) take down the Christmas decor and tree and then we are left with the “blah” of January. Someone on my social media feed posted about the sadness of taking down her Christmas tree and other people chimed in too about it including me. It is a little sad to put away the things that remind us of the family and holiday time. The colors and sparkle get put into boxes until next year leaving us with the everyday walls and items we had before.
I live in Wisconsin and it’s cold in January so I tend to hibernate a little, or at least really think about the need to go to the store for groceries. (Unless we are out of coffee, we cannot run out of coffee.) So January can be a little isolating.
Most of us connect with family and friends during the holidays and it seems to me that we don’t always have a reason to do this after that time of year is over. That can be a letdown too. (Or not, depending on your situation!)
So how do you feel about January? Do you see it as a starting over point? Do you make your plans and goals for the year? Do you make resolutions? Or do you continue doing what you do and not worry about “new?”
Whatever you do, it’s ok.
I like January because I do view it as an opportunity to start over and make goals for the new year. I love getting a new planner for the year and writing down what I want to accomplish and who I want to connect with. It just feels good to have a plan in place. It sets the tone for the year which helps me know where I want to go literally and figuratively.
As I mentioned earlier, I live in a cold climate and the older I get, the more I dislike it. Making plans and thinking about the new year and possibilities, is a distraction from the cold winter months.
How about resolutions? Do you make those? I used to, but I have not done that in a few years. Can you guess why? Spoiler alert: I gave up on them by February.
Making resolutions feels like too much pressure. Trying to exercise more or eat better or whatever the “resolution” is can feel too big to me. I need to break things down into smaller pieces because that’s how I am more successful. Accomplishing smaller parts makes me feel better sooner and then I can move on to the next part. Pretty soon all those “small” parts add up and you realize you are doing “big” things.
Does that make sense? For example, drinking water has been difficult for me in the past. I know how much I need to drink every day and that I should drink it. When I think about drinking 70 ounces of water daily, that seems like a huge amount. I have seen people walking around with those ginormous containers of drinking water and it makes my head explode. How does a person drink that much?? Aren’t they running to the bathroom like every 5 minutes??
So I break it down and start small. I have a favorite water bottle that holds 20 ounces so I need to fill and drink the water at least 3 times in one day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one around suppertime/early evening. (Not too late in the day for obvious reasons!) This is so much easier for me to do consistently. Eventually, it has become second nature or dare I say: habit. My body expects it now and if I slack off, I can tell.
But what if you don’t want to start something new in January? There’s no law that says you have to-at least not that I’m aware of. January just seems to be a convenient time to do new things but don’t feel pressure to do it. If you are loving your life right now and things are going great-celebrate it! Keep doing what you’re doing. Live your life without worrying about “new.”
If you do have plans and goals for the new year, please share them in the comments! I have found that simply saying things out loud helps me accomplish what I need to do. Share them with others if you don’t want to share here. If you want to share privately, send me an email at midlifewithcourage@gmail.com and I will help hold you accountable.
One of my goals for this year is to share oils with more people and I would love to talk to you about the role they can play in reaching your goals. Schedule a free wellness consult with me for a no-pressure talk by sending me an email.
Please take care of your beautiful self and I will talk to you soon!
~Kim~