Give Up On Your New Years Resolutions Now

Did I catch your attention? Did I make you mad? Did I offer you relief?

My husband and I got into bed the other night, and as he was doing his written affirmation practice, he said to me, “I think I know why people never follow through on their New Year’s resolutions.”

”Why’s that?” I asked.

”Because it’s the middle of January, and I feel like I’ve lived a full year already.”

Does anyone else feel like it’s January 43rd?

This got me thinking, along with all the other things I’ve read about this time of year and the pressure to have a bunch of New Year resolutions - and the actions that need to go with them - under your belt. If you live in Canada like we do, then you know that it is winter - like real winter. -20 degrees Celsius, tons of snow, conditions that don’t make you want to leave your home. The quote I read goes like this, and I found it through a story shared on Instagram:

“Don’t go for the ‘new year, new me’ bullshit. January is winter time. Rest, hibernate, recover, sleep, eat, keep it small. Do the new thing in spring when seeds start sprouting. Don’t let our dumb Gregorian/Roman calendar tempt you.” - @vrouwenwijs

That makes sense, right? It’s okay to rest now. It’s okay to spend our days sipping coffee, browsing through thrift stores, finding inspiration, binge-watching shows that bring us comfort or inspire us, re-reading our favourite books, eating nourishing comfort foods and taking naps. We can still be productive, but that productivity looks like self-care rather than building an empire. THAT’S OKAY. We must give ourselves permission to do that. We need to set ourselves up for success.

I firmly believe that if we Canadians can mentally get through January and February, the rest is gravy. However, I find that when I spend this intended season of rest trying to do too much, I’m so burned out when March and April come through with their added warmth and daylight hours.

Okay, so maybe don’t give up on your resolutions altogether, but see what you can handle right now and see what you can emerge with in the spring! Use this time for preparation and rejuvenation.

And no, you’re not going to miss out. You’re not going to lose out. You might save your mental health and truly benefit along the way. Clean your home, purge your stuff, empty your inbox, and make space for when the seeds are ready to be planted. I firmly believe that your mind, body and soul will thank you!