I don't do New Year's resolutions.

Yes, you read that correctly - I've kept to my New Year's resolution for 10 years now (or it could be longer).

With the new year approaching, like many people, I would put great thought into what my New Year's resolution was going to be. And yes, you guessed it, more often than not it would be about diet and exercise. 

Each year I would start off on January 1 with a hiss and a roar with some extreme diet and exercise regime that in hindsight I was never going to be able to sustain. And ultimately, a few weeks later, I would fail miserably, and feel terrible about myself and what I could achieve.

Until I came up with a new approach...

Clearly, coming up with some crazy resolution at the end of each year just didn't work. It was causing me angst, frustration, and it was damaging my already fragile self-esteem. I needed to do something differently.

Making the next decision was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life!

But first...

What was the problem?
By setting a resolution, I was reacting to a time in space, rather than making a conscious decision to do something based on what I needed, and when I could realistically manage it. You see it was the hype of the new year that spurred me on, not my own inner compass. And to be perfectly honest, I really think this is why for many people, New Year's resolutions just don't work. 

A good time to make decisions
Looking back, making what was supposed to be a life changing decision, at the end of a busy year, was possibly not the best time. Don't get me wrong, I do agree with setting goals for sure, but I think one important aspect is when we do it, how  we do it, and why we do it. I think if I had spent time earlier in the year, maybe around November, really thinking about what I wanted to achieve in the new year, that would be have been a much more sensible approach. Not two days before New Year's Eve, so that I had something to share as my resolution! Many of us do it, right?

​So... What is the New Year's resolution I've stuck to for 10 years?
After years of going through the same process of setting a resolution, sticking it to a week or two, quitting and then feeling bad, I decided that was really dumb. Why was I doing this to myself? This really wasn't working for me. The final New Year's resolution I made was the best one - my New Year's resolution was that, I would never make one again. Ever! And I haven't. 

Of course sticking to this  resolution has been easy! But it does a whole lot more besides. I now make goals and resolutions when it feels like the right time, and because they are appropriate and relevant to my life, and the particular point and time in my life. No more following the crowd to feel a part of something that was no longer supporting my best interests. No more reacting to something I found no value in. I made a decision that was right for me, and I have stuck to it ever since, because it continues to feel right. 

Question: I'd love to know your thoughts about New Year's resolutions? Comment below or join the conversation over in my Facebook group.

Until next time...

Take care of you,

​Kathryn x