New Year's Lifestyle Adjustments

"You know it’s time to make adjustments,

'Cause you don’t just leap right in,

You need baby steps here,

That’s how this has always been..."

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I find myself catching the self-reflecting train at the beginning of every new year, as so many of us do. After a round of seasonal celebrations and indulgences, with normally many social whirlwind family and friend get-togethers, (though fewer now that I am I am living in the country), I find myself ready to reflect, plan, refresh and rebuild in the new year. Do I make New Year’s Resolutions? You bet! However, I am realistic in my plans and expectations, and, although I make a multi-item list of my resolutions for the upcoming year, I know myself well, and know clearly how I operate. Therefore, I am gentle on myself, because being overly aggressive in my resolutions leads to a sure-fire failure.

For instance, how many of you make a resolution to get more active, to get up and go outside to walk or exercise more, or possibly get all gung ho to join a gym? Well, I can tell you the statistical failure rate on some of these activities is extremely high, and so for me, small adjustments and plans are far more realistic and attainable. I know that when it comes to exercise resolutions, success (for me) is more likely to be achieved by making my plans to start on March 1st instead of January 1st. I seem to have to wait until the weather is not so cold, damp, snowy or bleak with which to imagine myself becoming more slim and trim in the hope of a warming Spring and the expectation of sunny Summer weather. When I am experiencing the seasonal cold zone in a warm parka and extra layers of clothing, I possess no motivation for slimming down by getting more active, especially outdoors. Sure, on January 1st I can make mental adjustments and take proactive steps to eat healthier after my seasonal indulgences, but the exercise component of a healthier lifestyle resolution has to wait until the weather warms up a bit, at least, for me.

Today here I am sharing a poem I wrote, which I feel is somewhat of an affirmation, that reinforces my thoughts on setting resolutions. I know I have to take baby steps when it comes to change, and I do it by making small lifestyle adjustments. For those of you who are familiar with my website, you might have noticed this poem is a repost from last January. I hope you enjoy my re-share, and find some reasonable and attainable inspiration from its words.

Happy New Years, and cheers! Lise

*photo by brooke lark on unsplash

You Know It’s Time To Make Adjustments

You know it’s time to make adjustments,

'Cause you don’t just leap right in,

You need baby steps here,

That’s how this has always been.

You won’t just take the leap,

And go all in with this,

Because a full-on commitment,

Will end up just being a miss.

You are quite realistic,

And you know your own limits here,

Even though others may jump right in,

Because it is the start of a brand new year.

You however, know yourself well,

And doing a ‘cold-turkey’ will fail,

You know you have to make adjustments,

Or this will be another failure tale.

It’s okay to be honest with yourself,

It’s okay to acknowledge the fears,

You have seen how this works for you,

You have been here over the years.

So today just get into the mindset,

And make adjustments as you go,

For this is the way you know you can do it,

Are you ready? Get set, now GO!

By Lise Parton