When Things Look Bleak
What do you do once the holidays are over? January brings a feeling of melancholy. There's the letdown at the end of the festivities. There's the beginning of what most people find onerous: tax preparation (unless you wait until the last minute). And, related to that, there may be the shock of the current credit card bills. For some, the impending political change brings dread. And we’ve now had terrible weather: in California, one of the largest wildfires on record, and in the central and eastern part of the country, a massive winter storm.
Some people attempt to start a new beginning by making New Year's resolutions, but the great majority of these fail before the month is over. Some look forward to spring, but in the midst of the current cold and darkness, it appears far off.
What Do You Do?
Yes, you can always make New Year's Resolutions: resolve to eat more healthfully, exercise more, do a winter cleaning or decluttering, or review one's finances. (Reviewing one's finances is one of the most common resolutions that people are currently making.) But why do they tend to fail? Because when done in the typical way, they're uncomfortable.
A Different Concept
What I have in mind is pleasure. It's possible to make New Year's resolutions enjoyable. Not only will you have fun, you will be more likely to succeed in establishing a habit that will improve your life.
• Resolve to eat more healthfully? What if you took some cooking lessons in which you learned how to make new dishes that were healthy yet delicious? You'd have fun in the classes, perhaps make some new friends, and enjoy mastering some new cooking techniques.
• Resolve to exercise regularly? If you did so with a friend, the two of you would hold each other accountable for persisting. And as you progressed, you'd enjoy the pleasure of the endorphin rush you'd feel. Or, if you'd rather exercise at home, you could still do it with a friend, either by Zoom or in person.
• Could cleaning ever be fun? Yes. There are videos on YouTube that show various ways to clean more quickly and efficiently. (I use the Speed Cleaning™ system.) You can time yourself and see whether, as you get more expert, your cleaning time shrinks more and more.
• What about reviewing your finances? Imagine the pleasure in discovering things you don't have to pay for anymore. Unused subscriptions. Obsolete membership dues. Unnecessary expenses that can be eliminated. And creating or updating your budget can be fun.
How Can Your Inner Guide Help?
It will change any feeling of deprivation that may result from acting on a New Year's resolution to a feeling of pleasure, or even excitement, at the prospect of achieving a new goal. It will change any feeling of boredom at what feels like a chore into an interesting, even gripping, experience. And it will help you discover new ways of accomplishing your goals. If you don't yet have an Inner Guide, you can acquire one, for free, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ4G9VIxS94
