Say NO to Resolutions!

Every January 1, it’s the same thing. “This year my resolutions are…(fill in the blank).”  It is always seemed to be the same thing for me, over and over again.  Lose weight, stop binging, exercise more…

Needless to say, nothing ever worked.  If they had, I wouldn’t have to keep making the same resolutions over and over again. So, a couple of years ago, I shifted my perspective around “New Year’s Resolutions”. 

I began to think back on my year to see what I learned about myself, what I want to shift, or what I want to release instead. (Check out the top 10 year-end questions blog here). What thoughts, behaviors, or activities have moved me away from being happy, joyful, and content? 

Did you know that over 85% of the population fail their New Year’s resolutions within the first 5 weeks of the new year? With this in mind, release-O-lutions were born.  

What is a Release-O-Lution?

It’s the process of letting go of something in your life that clutters it up, frustrates you, brings you down, puts you in a shameful or blameful place, depresses you, makes you anxious, etc.

Things you might release include:    

Regrets: I should have…If I only…Why didn’t I just…I wish I had…Physical items that promote feelings of failure, sadness, anxiety:That pair of jeans in your closet, that don’t fit. A shirt that you wore when you weighed less.The old box of  “when I lose the weight” clothes.A case of Slim-Fast in your basement.A shelf of diet books in your living room.The scale in your bathroom that has the power to tell you how to feel about yourself.Assumptions: I am not smart (or thin, successful, happy) enough.No one likes me.I don’t have what it takes.I am always messing up.I can’t do anything right.It doesn’t matter anyway.I am not good enough.

Start with one thing.  Release just one assuming thought, one physical item, or one regret.  

This is about taking a stand and making a hard choice. “I choose to not let what others think about me define who I am or bring me down”  or  “I choose to forgive myself for making that mistake last year” (or 10 years ago!)

My experience with Release-O-Lutions.

This last year I decided to finally let go of the “should have’s” I have continued to think about in regards to certain conversations I regreted.  Every time I thought about them, my mind would go back to “Why did I say that? Why didn’t I keep my mouth shut? Why didn’t I say this instead, why am I so stupid”.  I would re-live the experience, the emotions and the feelings.  

I paid the price of regret and sadness when it happened, yet each time I thought about it, I would paid  the price of pain, sadness, frustration and disappointment with myself over and over again

This negative self-talk is something a lot of us face. Here are 3 tips for more positive self-talk.

Enough was enough. The thoughts were keeping me stuck in the past.  It was time to look at what I had control over and what I didn’t.  I took responsibility for myself and my actions and stepped forward in my truth.

Do I mess up sometimes? Yes.   Does beating myself up over my mistakes serve me? No.

The assumptions and self-deprecating thoughts lowered my self-esteem, my self-worth, and my value. 

Choosing a new path.

I made the choice to change, take responsibility for my mistakes, and move on.  

How long do you want to hold onto things in your closet that make you feel unworthy or thoughts about yourself that hold you back and label you as unworthy? 

Releasing is a proactive choice about becoming aware of how your thoughts or your physical environment (like the clothes in your closet) make you feel about yourself, and then making a choice: To hold on or let go.  

What will you be releasing in 2021 to find more joy, happiness, and contentment in your life?

Would you like company on your journey?  Join the Body Joyful Revolution!  A community of women empowering women to feel comfortable and confident in their bodies and their decisions.  There are exclusive tips and resources there too, to help you on your journey. Join us in the Body Joyful Revolution Here

Updated blog post from 12/21/2019

 

 

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