Happy New Year readers! To those of you who have returned after almost one year of radio silence, I want to say thank you so much for your patience. I am very excited to continue this journey with you. While the New Year brings feelings of excitement and motivation, there is also a wave of regret that can rush in when thinking about all that we did not accomplish in 2021. According to an article published in Forbes, 80% of all New Year resolutions fail. If this statistic applies, do not be too hard on yourself because you are not alone.
Despite the feelings of guilt, it is important to remember there is nothing anyone can do in this present moment to change the past. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and push forward. And that is exactly what we are going to do.
While everyone’s process is different, below is my plan for moving onward and upward in 2022:
- Learn to forgive yourself. We are our own worst critics and it is easy to tear yourself down to a level of hopelessness. Even if you are disappointed in your lack of commitment to reaching your goals, it is important that you forgive your shortcomings and embrace the journey ahead. You deserve to achieve your dreams no matter how discouraged you feel.
- Never underestimate the amount of hard work you are going to have to contribute to completing your mission. Becoming a better version of yourself is easy to say but extremely difficult to do. Remaining consistent day in and day out is going to take a lot of mental toughness. You have to be willing to put in a lot of hard work to accomplish your goals. Don’t forget; words do not lead to change, actions do.
- Don’t be afraid to break out of your comfort zone. Mix up your routine in creative ways, especially when it comes to your workouts. While group activities are still not the safest to participate in given the ongoing pandemic, there are a ton of free videos on YouTube. Do a dance workout, get in on a virtual boxing class, try yoga. Mixing up your routine will help keep you interested. And even if you are not good at something right away, doesn’t mean you should stop. Especially if that something sparks excitement.
- Evaluate your resolutions to make sure they are reasonably attainable. There is nothing wrong with shooting for the moon but remember that Beyoncé was not built in one day, nor did she become the GOAT in just one year. Great things take time and small changes can add up to big results. Sometimes we fail because we bite off more than we can chew, both literally and figuratively. Implementing changes that are realistic for your circumstances can be beneficial to the overall objective.
- Make sure you are taking advice from people who truly have your best interest in mind. When you are working on yourself you will begin to recognize there are people in your life who do not actually want to see you win. Those individuals will attempt to discourage you and make you feel like what you are doing is silly or insignificant. Do not let anyone project their insecurities onto you. If you are passionate about something, move full steam ahead. Do not put any weight into the opinions they disguise as advice.
Your story is not over, you still have the opportunity every day to show up and do better. Do not let this year slip through your fingers. Take things day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. It CAN be you and it WILL be you. Watch out 2022, we are coming in HOT.
