Common Mistakes you can Make with Your New Year's Resolutions
I freaking love the positivity that comes with a new year. The counselor in me starts getting really happy reading on social media all the plans to make and keep goals, live with intention, and make this year truly count. I can truly feel the enthusiasm people have when discussing what they want their new year to look like. However, life has a way of wearing us down to where we forget this enthusiasm. Read some common pitfalls we can make in the new year and how to avoid them.
A common pitfall with new year's resolutions is to use our goals for negative self-talk. Instead of going to the gym because you are worth exercising for, you might start saying things like “I ate so bad today, I need to work-out,” or “I hate the way I look, I need to change.” These are just a couple of examples that show that a positive goal can still lead to negativity. Instead of focusing on what you don’t like, such as your current weight, focus on why you set the goal. For instance, “I like feeling better about myself when I work-out,” or “I love getting stronger!” Make sure to stay positive about your goals.
New year’s resolution pitfalls happen when we become rigid. The goal is often so high that it is an impossible standard to keep up with, so people tend to lose steam. I recently saw an image that showed instead of making goals, choose to do more of some categories and less of others. For instance, my “More” category would have family time, vegetables, work-outs, and self-care, while my “Less” could have working on the weekends, drinking alcohol, and staying up too late. Just because I stay up late one time doesn’t mean that I failed, instead we are looking for the right balance in our lives.
New year’s resolutions tend to fail because we made them for the wrong reason. Maybe you started that crash diet (don’t get me started on crash diets) because you wanted to look good on your beach vacation. This is a short-term goal that won’t make it to the long-term life style change that we need. Instead, try making long-term choices like I want to be stronger, healthier, more balanced, etc.
There are many pitfalls that can interfere with our well-intentioned 2018 goals. Make sure you gain control of this year, by making the goals for a right reason, giving yourself some self-compassion, and using balance. If you need some help in this new year, contact us, we are happy to work with you. Life transitions counseling can help you gain control.
Written by Amy Rollo, M.A., LSSP, LPC-S
Amy Rollo is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and owner of Heights Family Counseling. Amy has been practicing counseling and diagnostic evaluations for fifteen years. She has doctoral level training in the areas of child and adolescent counseling, evaluations, marriage and family therapy, and adult counseling. Amy Rollo provides counseling and evaluation services in the Houston Heights and surrounding areas. Amy’s goal in counseling is to journey with her clients in order to foster positive changes and growth in their lives. Read more about Amy's counseling style by visiting www.heightsfamilycounseling.com and read more about her services by visiting http://heightsfamilycounseling.com/services-1/