New Year, New Me: A Letter to Myself and to You

On a typical January 1^st, I write down my goals for the new year—most of us do. Exercise, lose weight, get organized, save money, and so on. It usually goes something like that. An entirely new lifestyle, starting on the 1^st. How hard could it be?

Turns out, it’s pretty much impossible. And when you think about it, of course it’s impossible. If it’s challenging to make one big life change, how could it be possible to make 4 all at the same time? Our society puts too much emphasis on drastic change, right here, right now. This focus on immediate change is what keeps the New Years Resolution train going round. We continue to make them every year because society and social media tells us we should, and if/when we can’t stick to them, we’re told it’s our fault.

This year, I have decided to make a change. The days of writing down a long list of resolutions and beating myself up for not sticking to them have (finally!) come to an end. It’s totally normal to want to change things about yourself and your life, but what is not normal (and has unfortunately become normalized) is doing this in a drastic and therefore unsustainable way.

In 2024, I propose that we be more thoughtful. Let’s think about what’s meaningful to us. If losing weight is meaningful to you, great…set small goals to work towards that. But if it’s not, then don’t feel pressured to write it down. Maybe what’s more meaningful to you is baking more or going on more walks with your dog. Put your time and energy into that instead.

This year, my goals are to read one book a month, blog more, go to bed earlier, and spend more time with my family. When I reflect on my life, this is what was meaningful to me; and because I am simply doing more of what I love, I am setting myself up for happiness and success in 2024.

I encourage you to consider what makes you happy in your life right now. I don’t mean if your life is Instagram-worthy or if someone else would like your life, but if you, personally, find joy in your lifestyle. What is it about your life that makes you happy? What doesn’t? Carve out time to do more of what you love and get rid of what is unnecessary and not serving you.

In the words of my favorite yoga instructor, let’s take a big breath out. Let’s slow down for a minute and think about what we really, truly want our 2024 to look like, and let’s make small, mindful tweaks to get there. This might look like something as simple as baking a batch of cookies, going to a yoga class, or scheduling a coffee date with an old friend. Every time you do more of what makes you happy, you take small (but intentional!) steps towards creating a life that you love.

Thanks for visiting!

♡ Clotilde