It is only fitting that we think of resolutions and goals we want to achieve this trip around the sun to see what 2023 has in store for us all. Everyone this time of year has the same mindset of magically becoming the best version of themselves in the new year.
“I am going to eat really clean, hit the gym six days a week, cut out alcohol and sleep at least eight hours a night,” is what you will hear out of everyone’s mouths for the first few weeks of the year. Soon enough, you will see the gyms die back down in popularity and grocery store shelves more full in no time.
Why do we set New Year’s resolutions if we can never keep them?
I found myself asking this question when year after year I was determined to stick to my goals and never able to stay consistent with them. Recently I discovered why I am not able to stick to my goals past January and why I will be starting them in May this year.
Due to the unbearable cold, dry air, lack of daylight and things to do during this season, the winter season is nature’s time to hibernate and a sign to those around to hibernate as well.
All these obstacles make it even harder to reach higher levels of motivation and excitement for achieving goals and resolutions when it is expected to happen in the midst of winter. Who really wants to go to the gym at 7 a.m. when it is 20 degrees outside?
Using this time as a hibernation for your body, mind and soul can help prepare your body for the upcoming year while also helping you reflect on the past.
Instead of forcing myself to change and ultimately failing, I will be spending my time and energy on shedding old things, habits and tactics I do not want to bring into the new year with me. This can be done in ways such as journaling, meditating and manifesting.
Something that also keeps me going during the cold months is picking up a new hobby around the house. I recently learned how to knit, thanks to my mom and soon-to-be sister-in-law. By doing this, I am able to keep myself busy and find something to focus all my efforts on to pass a few hours.
By reflecting on the past year and knowing how to learn from mistakes made in the Winter and the beginning of the new year, I have planted seeds for my plant to grow as the year continues. When Spring comes around and it is time for nature to wake up from its hibernation, it will be the perfect time to cast my manifestations for the year.
It is now time for the growth, blossom and change of the plant. You can not grow nor change if you mentally are not ready. Take your time, breathe and relax. New year resolutions do not have a time stamp on them, nor should they be restricted to one either.