January: A Time for Gentle Resolutions and Daily Progress

By Annie Meyers, Social Work Licensure Candidate 

The month of January is a source of inspiration for many to pursue a fresh start. There are few signified times in our culture that encourage us to establish new goals, revisit dreams and reflect on both failures and successes from previous years. It can be easy to fall victim to the marketed trap of “New Year, New Me” culture and buy those new pens and planners that are going to keep us organized, get that gym membership, and, most harmfully, harp on ourselves when that short term burst of motivation fades and we struggle to meet the lofty goals that seemed so possible two weeks ago. 

This January, instead of calling ourselves lazy, or being quick to label ourselves as failures when we fall short of high expectations we and the ever-so-constant demand of social media have placed on ourselves, I propose we aim for a more graceful, softer type of resolution; doing the best we can each day.

For example, my resolution has been to use DoorDash less often. Note that I didn’t say I was going to completely stop using DoorDash, as that at times is unrealistic for me. I know that if I were to set that goal, when I inevitably cave in to my late night ice-cream cravings I would have not only blown my resolution, but felt the stinging sense of failure and reduced my chances of following through on other goals I have. By being gentle with myself and my expectations, I am able to be more focused on daily, tangible growth than an overarching goal that I am unlikely to follow through with. 

During this season of change, I encourage everyone to challenge themselves to set high goals but break them into manageable steps and be gentle with the inevitable setbacks the coming year will bring.