At the start of every new year, many of us wake up in a funk, wishing we had a new life, wishing we had everything put together. We scroll and scroll for hours until our eyes hurt on social media to see others saying that this is our year to be new, to be better. We get sad and feel like we are not as worthy because we are not accomplishing as much as the people we see online and sometimes we just feel like a complete puddle and a complete failure. Even though some of us may feel that way, we are not a failure, we all have our own timelines and goals and that is okay.
You can be a better you, but there is always time for being a better you. Just because our calendar says that this is a new beginning, so is every day. You do not have to feel the pressure to create this new person in just a short amount of time. Every day we wake up and every minute of our lives is our chance to make the most of things.
I read something once that I live by and it goes, “You do not have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” This stuck with me because, no matter what you do, big or small, it could be a step to changing your life. Whether that is just waking up in the morning and doing your skincare or drinking a cup of water in the morning, whatever the first step is – MAKE that step. That step looks different for everyone. For me, a girl in my twenties, I am just trying to survive and do well with school all while working a part-time job and managing my mental health and stress.
Now, I am not saying this will be easy and I am not saying I do not feel pressure to enter this new era because honestly, I also feel pressure to strive for the best and think people should strive to be the best they can be. It may not be easy but you must remember the things you see on social media is people putting up a façade. I’m not saying that it is all fake, but what I am saying is that not everyone has their whole lives put together and that is okay. Do not be fooled, these girls do not have a perfect life, they do not have perfect relationships and if they continue to rub that in your face, leading you to feel upset and unlucky, why would you want to absorb that in your brain? As a woman there is already so much pressure out in the world so why add more to your list?
remember that you are doing so well, even if it is just getting out of bed in the morning. That itself is still a good first step. It is important to set goals but you do not need to create a big list that reads “buy new makeup”, “get a new haircut”, or “go to the gym and meet a gym guy”. If that is something that makes you happy, go for it, but if it is something that gives you stress and pressure, it is okay to not create those goals. Start with a small goal and build on from that. Give yourself time to accomplish it. This way you do not stress yourself out with a crazy time constraint. It can be simple. When you create a few smaller goals, you realize you do end up completing them, because they are not stressful and daunting.
Let’s be honest, we are all fighting some sort of war, whether that’s an emotional or mental war between ourselves or we have people in our lives that are toxic. We all have something going on and we must remember that it takes time, patience and healing to fix all of that. What I will say is that you do not need to feel pressure to be a new you this year, just do what makes you feel the happiest and most at home.
And you may ask yourself, what if I hit a hard spot this year? If you hit a rough spot this year, that is also okay. As I said above, no one’s life is perfect, no one gets through life without hardship. We fall, we may break and we may fail but we do rise, heal and overcome. Mindset is everything. Every day and every minute is our chance to create a brighter future for ourselves but we should do that at our own pace. If you reach a hard time, stand back for a minute, reflect and then continue. We all have bad days but bad days are not forever. You will overcome it. You will get through it. If something causes you stress or unhappiness, leave them, leave it. It is not worth your own happiness.
Remember that this year can be amazing. This year can be a good year, and it is okay if you do not accomplish all the things you want to or if you did not accomplish all the things you wanted to last year. Every day that you wake up is your chance to shine.
The new year is a chance for a fresh new start. When you see that sun shining, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself “I am grateful that I am here, I am doing great, I am enough.” As funny as that sounds, that honestly begins to work after a while because you are doing great and this year will be awesome if you take that first step, whether that is big or small. Do it for yourself, at your own pace and look at how far you came from the person you were yesterday, three weeks ago and even four years ago. Remember that Miley Cyrus song, “The Climb”? It goes, “Life is a climb, but the view is great”.