Why wait for Jan. 1 to try to change? Change comes in increments. And it usually takes at least 90 days of consistency for the brain to “catch up” to the deeper levels of change. So why not try something today that you were thinking of starting on Tuesday?
Why wait to start exercising or meditating or eating right? Why wait to be kinder to yourself, to declutter your kitchen drawers, to clear out your garage, to shred old paperwork you do not really want or need?
Try today. Try again tomorrow. If you blow it at 1 pm, try again at 1:45. You don’t have to wait for tomorrow to start the change that you screwed up today. Be amused at your failings. Learn from them. Shame says “Don’t make a mistake, don’t fail or you’ll _______.” Be a learner. It’s the only way to change and keep the change.
I’m serious.
I really appreciated this post. Every day, every hour, minute, second is a new opportunity to change. Instead of waiting for the “New Year” to finally make a change, realize you have the choice to make a change right now 🙂
This really got me thinking about my feelings of shame and wondering why I’ve been waiting to do things. It is time for a change.
Thank you for your honesty, Kim. Shame is such a de-motivating force, whispering that we might fail (and die from it, even). Once we admit shame aloud, it has far less hold on us, for the moment. That’s why we practice mindfulness; meditation. To renew our attempts at a conscious life, one day at a time instead of the perfectionist’s “forever”.