Every year the pressure of a new start takes hold and we begin to hear what everyone else’s plans and goals are for the new year. It quickly becomes a comparison game and we feel as if we “should” also be coming up with NYR (New Year Resolutions).
This is a very hard time of year because the top trending NYR is almost always “weight loss.” This makes the billion dollar industry of diets very happy, but causes low self-esteem, low confidence and the continuous spiral of diet… lose weight… quit… gain weight… dislike self… diet… to start all over again.
You did not fail your diet, your diet failed you.
Diet culture does not care for you to succeed at your diet long-term. If it did, diets wouldn’t be so profitable because people would stop spending money looking for the next-best-thing. Diets are designed to be difficult and fail you over and over hoping that you will sign up for more programs, individual coaching, buy another plan, etc. Sell, sell, sell is what the dieting industry does.
In light of this, many of the people who work with our providers at Bamboo Nutrition struggle with constant noise of NYR diet culture. It is something that has caused them years of suffering and wasted time and money. Our clients have found that working with a registered dietitian is a better return on investment than trying different trending diets on their own. What good comes from making unrealistic goals with no direct guidance and accountability?
On the other hand, it is nice to reflect on your previous year, think about the person you are and what has helped form your mindset, behaviors, and hobbies. There is nothing wrong with taking time to reflect and wanting the new year to be different. There is also nothing wrong with setting goals, “resolutions”, etc. It can be a great thing and motivate you to start that project you have been putting off, or finally commit to therapy and work through the pain that continues to impact your mood and relationships. The important thing is to take time to develop a goal that is positive, realistic, and rooted in self improvement and not image or a “quick fix.”
Questions to ask yourself when reflecting on the previous year.
What went well?
What did not go well and how could that have been improved/avoided/anticipated?
What are the top 5 most important things in my life currently?
What helps me to feel my best?
Where would I like to spend more time and energy? Would that be on improving and continuing the things that make me happy or choosing a problem area and addressing it? (Focusing on making strengths stronger, or making weaknesses stronger?) OR BOTH?!
Replacements for Resolutions
Your answers to the above questions do not need to be deep, philosophical or meaningful. It can be as simple as, “I had better work-life balance this year and I would like to continue working on this by taking a one-week vacation with my family.” Another example would be, “The amount of screen-time on my phone has been really high and I feel out of touch with life when I am always on my phone. It also makes me feel bad seeing some accounts on social media. I want to reduce my screen time and clean up my social media feed. Maybe this can be accompanied by me trying to do one thing outside the house every day that is not technology-focused.”
New year goals can be as small, big, specific, or non-specific as you would like.
Here are some ideas for replacing resolutions with goals and other life-improvement ideas:
Consider starting or joining a club of some sorts: book club, bible study, pickleball league, gardening club, etc.
Sign up for a class: learn sign language, take a pottery class, photography class for beginners, sewing or knitting class
Begin therapy or nutrition counseling
Start physical therapy again and have someone hold you accountable to going to your visits or doing the exercises at home
Set personal goals for yourself and use apps, planners, or journals to track progress: drink an appropriate amount of fluid every day, complete a daily devotional, be outside once per day, get in a routine with chores, call friends and family more often, read more books, journal more, etc.
Choose a word to embrace the following year: peace, joy, perseverance, etc.
Explore new forms of movement: yoga, swimming, rowing, strength training, hiking, cross country skiing, roller skating, tap dancing, etc.
Organize your photos and memories
Volunteer more
Get a furry friend
These are all positive ways that you can add to your repertoire of skills, hobbies, and self-improvement.
I like to think about the first 3 months of the year as my planning period.
It's not always possible to come up with these ideas then immediately implement them. Having the first 3 months of the year can give you the time you need to research, maybe budget or find some deals, and sign up!
Try out your new plan for 3-6 months then reevaluate. Not all of those ideas above will click or be a great fit for you, but I doubt you will entirely regret taking 3 months of pottery classes, that’s really cool!! But after that time, if it isn’t for you, now you know! You learned something new about yourself and hopefully you gained some skills or friendships in the process.
If therapy or nutrition counseling is something you’d like to work on in the new year, Bamboo Nutrition would be happy to work with you! Take the time to read about us and see if we would be a good fit for your needs and values. Our providers are online and in person. We are located in Columbia, Missouri and Rochester, Minnesota.