False Starts & New Beginnings
Happy New Year!
…Or maybe not?
It seems like a lot of us have been struggling our way through January and many of our plans for a fresh start have been put on hold.
Personally, I have already battled fatigue, illness, burn out, and a ruptured eardrum - so, it hasn’t been a fun few weeks! However, I am trying to see the benefits of using January as a month of rest, instead of a month of change.
Although I would definitely not recommend being ill in January, it has allowed me certain freedoms from the pressure that can come with the ‘New Year, New You’ mentality. Instead of undertaking 30 Days of Yoga , Veganuary, reducing calories, making better habits, and hitting the ground running; I have been spending an extra hour in bed reading, making my favourite comfort foods, and indulging in guilty-pleasure TV. And, no, I haven’t been super productive but everything that HAD to be done has been done. I am working, I submitted an assignment for my degree, and I am starting to feel a little healthier as my immune system fights off the illness and my body begins to heal.
Spoiler alert: The world hasn’t ended because I decided to not seek self-improvement.
So, maybe an inconvenient new year can actually be a blessing in disguise and a lesson that I can take into the rest of 2024 with me? I will make better habits, I will get back into yoga (because it makes me feel good) and I will try and eat a little healthier, but it doesn’t all have to happen all overnight. Part of the reason that I have had such a rough start to 2024 is that I was burnt out due to refusing to rest when I needed to in 2023, so, I will try not to repeat past mistakes.
Whatever you want to achieve in 2024, and beyond, why not spend a little time breaking it all down into the smallest possible steps and then just take it day by day? This is what I am going to do and I am optimistic that it will set me up for a successful year ahead, no matter what January has thrown at me.
No ‘New Year, New Me’ this year, instead it is a year of self-acceptance, understanding my limits, acknowledging the importance of resting, and enjoying the simple things in daily life. No resolutions, but things to consider as we move past January into the year that lies ahead:
Be patient, it doesn’t have to happen overnight
Be understanding, rest when you need to rest
Be proactive, but remember even the slowest of progress is still progress
For now, I have about a week and a half left of January to keep looking after my health, relaxing, and setting myself up for a good 2024. On the 31st I will fake new year, and February 1st will be a fresh start. A new chapter where we should all commit to do things at our own pace, take the time to rest, and celebrate the wins as they come.
2024? I’m ready for it.
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