Recently a friend and I were at the YMCA, I remarked how crowded the gym was. He said they are ‘resolutionaries’ and will be gone soon.
Typically people make resolutions that are big commitments and fizzle out by February. It’s a discouraging way to start a new year by not keeping the self- commitments you make. Striving for self-improvement is deeply embedded in our culture, but self-acceptance is rare and less valued.
Rather than make resolutions this year, I decided to give attention to self-acceptance rather than self-improvement. By focusing on the parts of myself I value, I have been happier and more relaxed. I began by identifying traits that I wanted to nurture this year and then allowing time for those changes to emerge.
For example, friendships are important to me; by giving precedence to my time with friends I am deepening these bonds. Also, I enjoy reading but noticed spending less time reading books so I am prioritizing books over web surfing.
What strengths of yours would you like to spotlight this year?
