Embracing Change While Loving Where You're at Today.

As we move closer to the new year it feels so natural to think about creating big goals and reinventing our lives. There are so many articles and statistics about January 1st being an arbitrary day and how long it takes the average person to give up on their new years resolutions. I've read all the articles and I've seen all the statistics and I just don't care...I love the idea of personal reinvention. The only thing I've taken away from those articles is not to wait until next year to work on your dreams, don't put anything off until January that you want to work on today. But for me I still love the feeling of starting fresh in the New Year.

If you're like me, I know you have a million things you want to do and imporve on and change but I think, especially this time of year, it's important remember who you are today. When you're thinking about goals it's easy to get stuck on all the points where you feel like you're lacking and all the things you didn't accomplish last year. It's so important to keep in mind all the things you do well already. Sure, you might want to improve some of those things but forming your goal with the mind set of improvement rather than a complete 180 change is such a better place to come from.

I like studying the phsychology of change. I think it's a fascinating field of research and truly if you can find the magic button to create change you'd be set for life. But until someone finds that button we're all stuck doing things the hard way... I've read a lot of the books about change and habit building and one theme I have come across in multiple book is the idea of adding rather than subtracting things from your life. Like, for me one thing I want to do less of is being on my phone first thing in the morning. So instead of saying "no phone use before 8am" my goal should encompas what I'm going to do in place of being on my phone. My goal surrounding phone use is actually a goal about having a better morning routine. I want to wake up before Leo, have my coffee, do my skin care an get ready for the day in peace. Along the same lines, a mental trick is creating times where it's ok to use your phone rather than not. Like, I can scroll on my phone while I'm eating lunch and for 20 minutes before I take a shower. Again, focusing on the idea of what you can do rather than all the things you're trying to cut out.

I've always been a pretty positive person and the idea of focusing on the good in my life usually comes pretty easy to me. But I think a reminder is helpful every now and then. This time of year it can be so easy to play the comparison game and get down on yourself. This is your reminder that someone is looking at your life with that same lust.