3 Things Better Than New Year's Resolutions

Happy Solstice!

Winter became official 10 days ago and the holiday energy has so many of us buzzing with the age-old tradition of setting resolutions for the New Year. The end of one year and the start of another seems like the perfect time to embrace a new adventure. And so many of us do. At least we try to!

You buy the weights, set your alarm for an hour earlier, and make a commitment to yourself. And about 7-14 days in, your newfound resolution fizzles out. What happened?! Everything was going great until it just wasn't. Now the feels kick in and you somehow failed to follow through.

I want to let you in on a little secret...

....it isn't time yet.

There are no shortcuts here.

Winter starts just a few days before December actually ends which means we're trying to rouse our bodies to feel renewed and ready to dance into action when what we really should be embracing is the restful cycle of winter.

Four-thousand years ago the Babylonians celebrated their version of the renewed year closer to mid-March instead of during the cold flat of winter. Their traditional promises were more for their gods and outward improvement (like returning borrowed objects) but when in Rome...

Over the last 10 years, I've dialed my resolutions back from new routines and habits to reconnecting with the natural rhythm of the season. To just embrace the present moment and my wellbeing.

✨ Here are 3 things better than New Year's resolutions:

❄️ Focus on activities that fit the season/weather❄️

Ninety percent of the time the weather is going to determine how long or even if we can spend time outside. Sometimes that means we bundle up to step out or cozy up because we're staying in.

🤍Embrace a pattern of rest 🤍

Rest doesn't always mean sleep! It seems like resting our bodies is one of the most challenging things to accomplish. Especially given the number of distractions that easily come our way daily. We've all been investing our energy and time into everything all at once. Let go of the excessive weekly commitments, and set boundaries for the things most important to you and close to your heart. Resting allows us to create space for balance.

🔮 Don't ignore your feelings/emotions 🔮

Neglecting your feelings is like starving yourself of a glass of water, no matter how thirsty you are. Forgiveness heals and letting go promotes growth, albeit rough as hell at times. We replay our most worrisome mistakes while looking outward for a way to escape them. The darker days of winter can bring out the most uncomfortable waves of feelings that we don't always know how to express or acknowledge. It may seem like it but, we are not at the mercy of our circumstances. The way forward is through.

So we'll tuck ourselves into our winter nests for the next few weeks and let the energy of the season emerge where it will.