A month has gone by and 2021 is now well underway. After the whirlwind that was 2020 and all of the changes it brought to our lives, many of us may have entered into the new year with big goals and expectations for ourselves. Maybe you had an entire laundry list of New Year’s resolutions (or maybe you just had one big one) but it’s February already and those boxes have yet to be ticked off. So what now?
It happens every year — ads target us and say that it’s time to lose weight, start saving money, or reconnect with our families. Regardless of how noble many of these endeavors may be, the pressure to carry them out all at once and on schedule cannot only deter us from pursuing them but make it feel that much worse when we don’t immediately succeed. Rather than beating yourself up over your progress, take the opportunity to revisit your goals, and revise timelines.
Prioritizing Goals
Before deciding how you’ll move on with your resolutions, take a moment to organize them. What goals do you feel passionate about? Which ones did you pick up on just because the new year seemed like a good time to try it? All of your goals may be healthy lifestyle changes but if you have too many big goals that you’re trying to carry out simultaneously, it will make it that much harder to see any of them through.
Some questions you may ask yourself to narrow down which resolutions you’d like to focus on:
- How long have I wanted this for myself?
- Is this something I need to be my best and healthiest self?
- Am I doing this for myself or someone else?
Remember, putting aside certain resolutions does not mean that you’ll never accomplish them — think of it as starting up a queue.
Giving Yourself Time
Once you’ve sorted out what goals you want to focus on, make sure you have realistic expectations for how long those goals will take to complete. Just because it’s a New Year’s resolution doesn’t mean it has to be completed by the end of the year, especially if you have more than one goal to meet. Giving yourself time also means being able to move past setbacks and forgiving yourself for making mistakes. Even if you only have one resolution, no matter how big or small, allowing yourself to take your time will ensure that you aren’t overexerting yourself. Putting too much pressure on yourself will not only make it more difficult but can also lead you to drop out altogether. However, giving yourself time does not mean unlimited free passes. Finding the balance between pushing ourselves and taking care of ourselves is the key to making real changes in our lives.
Some Goals Can’t be Put on a Timeline
Not every resolution is as simple as planning out a weekly schedule. Some of the problems we may be trying to address are rooted in complex histories, mental health, and/or physical health. While we can try our hardest to remove the behaviors that we want to change, taking care of the causes can be more difficult. Making a New Year’s resolution to get sober, treat your depression, or overcome your trauma is a big step. Forgiving yourself for not immediately making the changes you had hoped for in the new year is an important part of realizing that these goals can’t often be met in a month (or even a year.) Some resolutions become more than just a goal — they end up being life-long commitments to taking care of yourself and finding happiness.
The New Year Isn’t The Only Opportunity
There is a lot of pressure to set goals at the beginning of the year and when we aren’t able to meet all of our expectations, it’s easy to blame ourselves and give up. However, making big life changes isn’t something that we can just snap our fingers and get done. Sometimes, other circumstances may interfere or we may just not be in the right headspace. Truthfully, there is no “right” time to decide to start changing our lives. The right time for you is something that you will know and there is a good chance that an internationally recognized holiday may not be it. Just because you weren’t able to or haven’t met your New Year’s resolution doesn’t mean that you are incapable of it. Take the time to get your ducks in a row and make the decision for yourself when the global pressure of a new year isn’t your main driving force.
You don’t have to be ashamed for not meeting your New Year’s resolutions — making big changes can be difficult and scary at times. If your goal this year is to address your addiction and you are struggling by yourself, call Rancho Milagro at (951) 526-4582 and we can help. Our facility is located on 60 acres in the secluded hills of Temecula, CA, and can offer you the privacy and serenity you need to focus on yourself and your recovery. We offer individualized care that will ensure that every part of you is being treated — mind, body, and spirit. Our ranch is home to over 20 farm and therapy animals, miles of private hiking trails, and a specialized care team that will make sure you are heard and cared for. We know that overcoming addiction is no easy task and that is why we are here to give you all of the tools you need to reach sobriety all year long.