New Year, New me?

In this post we discuss that while the New Year is an amazing and fun opportunity for you to have a clean slate and get some things accomplished, it can also be a very daunting time that can lead to burnout and unhappiness if you are not careful. We discuss what realistic goal setting looks like, the pace at which to take when reaching for those goals, how comparison affects us, and more.

Be realistic

The New Year can be super daunting, but only if you let it be. I get it, seeing everyone on social media posting about their resolutions and goals can make you feel super behind, or like you should be doing more to have a good year. Do I think it is still good to reflect and see if there are areas you can be improve in? Sure! Do I think it is still good to set realistic goals? Of course. The problem comes when you add to much to your checklist at one time. Being realistic means taking a step back and envisioning what all this goal entails. What will you gain? What will you have to sacrifice?

For example (and I will choose this goal because I think it is the most common New Years goal around) a person wants to lose weight. As soon as the first day of January hits they start a crash diet and go to the gym every day to do a butt ton of cardio. This is not realistic. Unless you are some kind of superhuman with a mind of steel and endless stores of energy. You see, because this person decided to crash diet, they had no energy for the gym, and when they got home from their cardio session, found themselves even more exhausted. This cycle lasts for roughly two weeks before the person gives up and says it just isn’t going to work out this year for them. They’ll try again next year. Well, they had set unrealistic expectations of themselves before they even started. It takes time to build up those healthy eating habits. It takes time to find a training routine that works best for you. Which leads me into my next point…

Start slow and easy

If you’re anything like me, having too much on your mind or your to-do list probably shuts you down, or makes you feel like you are not accomplishing enough, fast enough. My advice? Start slow and easy. Just because your friend all of a sudden started waking up at 5 am, drinking 80g carb smoothies in the morning, and joined that new workout class, does not mean that what you are doing is any less significant. Besides, if you take things slow, and maybe do some research on what you’re wanting to accomplish, you’ll probably achieve what you are trying to achieve at a decent pace.

Take the gym goer from the previous example. His crash diet consisted of skipping breakfast, having a salad for lunch, and maybe something a bit more nutrient dense in the evening. Carbs? Healthy or of any kind? Out of the question. If this person had done their research however, they would have found that carbs are essential for giving us the energy we need to get throughout the day and training. If they had just taken the time to look into weight loss, they would have found that protein dense foods keep you full longer, leave you more satisfied and less likely to snack throughout the day. They would have also found that while yes cardio is good and important for cardiovascular health, combining that with strength training would be the most beneficial to their long term health. Start slow. Do your research. Go at the pace that feels best attainable to you.

It is personal

For some, starting slow and easy could mean trying to wake up 15 minutes earlier for a week, then slowly increasing that over time. For others, it could be opening their bible first thing in the morning instead of their phone. Whatever it is, however small, it is completely personal to you. They say comparison is the thief of joy. If you are constantly comparing yourself to influencers or friends who are posting their accomplishments, of course you are going to feel behind or like you aren’t doing enough. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Your goals are your goals, personal to you and no one else. And I promise, no one is going online to see if other people are doing the same things they are doing to better themselves. Could you imagine? “Oh, Sarah hasn’t posted a single picture of her at the gym, she must not be committed.” No one, at least I hope, talks like that. While it is helpful to have trusted people around to help keep you accountable, remember who you are doing these things for. You. So you can be better which in turn, will cause you to be better to the people around you. A better you, a better mom, a better friend, a better sibling. Whatever it is and in whatever way is personal to you.

be patient

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, take a breath. These things don’t need to be accomplished in the first month of the year. You know those corny sayings: ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination’ or ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’? Well, its true. If you are so focused on the end goal, you will miss out on everything along the way. And trust me, you don’t want to miss the blessings that are right in front of your face because you are so focused on the future. Take it from me, a competitive bodybuilder, who eats a strict diet and trains for months on end just to compete for a single day. All that time, for one day! If you’re not careful, months can go by and you barely recognize any of it because you were so consumed by your goals. Be present. Be patient.

I hope whoever is reading this post that you found it encouraging. And if there is any other advice you have, please feel free to reach out. I hope everyone’s 2025 is everything you want it to be and more. But remember, even if it is not, things will be alright. Happy New Year! (I am writing this on January 31st.)