June marks the halfway point in the year, and by now, some people might be surprised and confused. Surprised because the year is already halfway over, and confused because of the resolutions they’ve already broken which they wholly intended to keep. Let’s be honest, those resolutions have probably been long forgotten even before January was over.
Unless you’re one of the most organized people out there, it’s not hard to lose track of those resolutions over time. If your resolution involved starting a new habit or quitting a bad habit, it has been said that it takes 21 days to get yourself back on track. So, if you missed a single day of that you’ve already had to start over. That 21-day cycle certainly makes it very difficult to change diets, exercise regimes, and sleep patterns.
If you’ve stepped off your intended path at some point in the past few months, don’t feel as though you’re alone. When we think about it, 21 days may not seem like such a long time, but when you’re trying to develop healthy habits or quit smoking, it can seem like an eternity.
Since we are halfway there on the journey to 2018 and some New Year’s resolutions have already been broken, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. YOU CAN SET GOALS NOW! You don’t just have to do it on New Years. You should be setting new resolutions and goals for yourself as often as you need to, not just because you’re entering a new year.
So often, it is easy to get into the rut of doing things just because it is the way it has always been done. Just think about it for a moment: Why do we jam the airways and highways during major holidays to get together with family and friends? Because that’s the way it has always been done. Why do we set new goals for ourselves at New Years? Because everyone does it. We have to make sure that we are doing something that is meaningful and beneficial to our lives not because of some time-marker that was set by someone hundreds of years ago.
I hate to break it down for you like this, but honestly, the whole “new year, new me” idea does not actually happen. For instance, if you want to lose weight, you aren’t just going to shed a few pounds because it’s a new year, right? “Welcome 2018, I’m going to eat healthy for you now.” That sounds weird, doesn’t it??
If you want to be a better YOU, you have to set the goals and then make the choice as to when YOU want to get your butt into gear, not when the calendar says so. You have to remember that life is ultimately made up of choices. Nothing changes unless we set the goals, develop, and maintain the habits, and then commit to realizing our dreams no matter what or how long it takes. I know you may feel like the year is halfway over, but don’t look at it that way. You have six months left to do something amazing, to set new goals, and to work hard to reach them. Believe me, you can do a lot in 6 months if you put your mind to it. Instead of panicking, reflect on how far you’ve come, and if you haven’t done what you wanted, think about and plan where you want to be in 6 months so that by December 31, you can have something to pat yourself on the back for and know that you reached a goal or maintained a healthy habit for a significant amount of time.
Collaboration with Cassandra Vella & Kaitlin Livingston
Featured Image via Pexels
