Happy New Year! By now, the hustle and bustle and stress of the holiday season is behind us. You have probably spent weeks shopping, gift-giving, and visiting with friends and family, mostly time spent focusing on everyone else. Now, with the New Year upon us, it is time to focus on you. As we think of New Year’s resolutions, we naturally reflect on how we can better ourselves and contemplate changes to make that happen.
It’s tempting to want to make significant changes each January. Yet, resolutions are rarely kept beyond the second Friday of January, a day known appropriately as Quitter’s Day! Research suggests that only 9% of Americans who make resolutions complete them. Resolutions can fail for a myriad of reasons. It might be because people often start with the best intentions but realize later that their expectations are unattainable. Sometimes our goals take too long to achieve.
This year you can try going beyond typical resolutions like hitting the gym and consider more outside-the-box ideas like learning how to invest your money, volunteering your time to charity, improving your mental well-being, or trying a new hobby! No matter which route you choose, there are so many ways to create a happier and healthier life in the new year.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are working on your New Year’s resolutions:
- Pick a goal that motivates you.
- Break down your big goals into smaller, more manageable goals.
- Focus on progress, not perfection, and stay positive.
- Lean on others for support and motivation.
- Practice self-compassion.
- Set a new date, you do not need to commit to a resolution on January 1st.
- Don’t compare yourself to others.
- Know when to ask for help.
No matter how big or small your New Year’s resolutions are for 2024, remember to show yourself some grace and forgiveness during the times when you may struggle as you work to reach your goals. Please take time over this new year to engage in something meaningful to you, but more importantly, be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
At Hands of Hope Resource Center, we offer free, confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and general crime. We provide a safe environment, respectful of individual values and beliefs for women, men, and children of all racial, social, gender and economic groups. To speak with an advocate, please call 320-632-1657 (Little Falls) or 320-732-2319 (Long Prairie). Our services are available in Spanish.
