You might be reading this while attempting to eat your third salad of the week and resisting yourself from clicking on the shopping bookmarks you have saved on your browser. Or, if you’re anything like me, you’ve completely disregarded all those new year’s resolution by now. That’s right, we’re just around two months into the new year and it’s time to evaluate those resolutions.
Chances are, your naĂŻve soul made promises they just couldn’t keep when that clock struck midnight— or that’s what you’re telling yourself right now in an attempt to convince yourself it’s okay to let it all slip away. But don’t let it all go so easily!
Right around now (a moment in time I like to call the ‘2-Month-Slump’) is when all of your motivation and desires are starting to seem bleaker and less relevant. You’re thinking to yourself, “I have to do this for the entire year?”— it just seems impossible. But those thoughts should be overpowered by ones like, “Imagine how great I’m going to feel in December,” or, “I’m doing so well already,” or maybe even, “I’m not doing very well with it so I should start to do better now!”
Well, I got curious. So naturally, I talked to a few of my pals about their goals and how they’re maintaining them so well. One of them, Casey R., told me that it was her goal to run a half-marathon this year. She told me that she was motivated to start the journey because she had been thinking about it for such a long time and knew she had to get it done. She trains all week long for a race that’s coming up, and her motivation comes from knowing that she might not be as successful as she had hoped for if she slips even a little bit. For Casey R., the fear of disappointment and desire to improve is her motivation to push through all year long.
Another friend, Martha M., made the resolution to “say yes more.” Her motivation actually sparked after reflecting on the previous year, during which she realized saying “yes” to more things like clubs, jobs, and volunteer opportunities helped the year be one of the best yet! When she feels as if she’s slipping in her goal, Martha M. looks up to a whiteboard above her bed with the words “Say yes more.” “Slip-ups draw attention to my regret afterward,” Martha said about the times when she maybe didn’t follow through with her goal as much. “Then, I remember that these opportunities and moments [e.g. making friendships stronger and taking on more responsibilities at work] make me grow as a person. You never know what will happen if you say yes.”
It’s really easy to forget about the promise you made to yourself— let alone sticking with it. I myself have saved zero money like I had initially planned. But I know that taking the time to self-evaluate and understand the goal that is going to make me happiest, so I’ve jumped right back on board.
Sometimes holding onto a goal or resolution is the goal itself. Reminding yourself that by December you want to look back and know you had the most successful year you could have, and surrounding yourself with people who see this way as well (like Casey and Martha!), are the best ways to stay on track. I promise you’re gonna get over this 2-Month-Slump and make it all the way to next year’s confetti-spewing skies. Carols of Auld Lang Syne will be traveling through the crowds next new year once you realize you’ve made a real difference.
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