New Year and New You

Most of us made the obligatory comments throughout the year about how we could not wait for 2020 to be over. Now the time has finally arrived for us to begin 2021, the start of a new year and a new you.

The focus of most New Year’s Eve celebrations surrounds our excitement about the future. We join together to toast what was and experience the anticipation of what the new year can possibly bring. It is almost as if the minutes leading up to midnight on December 31st bring with them a little bit of magic. We all wake up on January 1st with somewhat of a clean slate, but how can the simple passing of time create a new perspective?

The history of creating new year resolutions dates all the way back to the ancient Babylonians over 4,000 years ago. Creating resolutions is just one example of how we create a new year and new you perspective. We use resolutions to try to correct past mistakes and hold ourselves accountable for a better tomorrow. They tend to focus on things within our control like changing our eating habits, engaging in more exercise, or making sure we check in on our loved ones more frequently.

“The focus shifts from creating attainable resolutions to what best supports a positive life.”

Mrs. B

Every person tailors their New Years’ resolutions to themselves, but what about those of us who refuse to make any? Are we any less expectant of an improved life to come? The answer to both of those questions boils down to the mental pep talk you give yourself about the past and the amount of motivation needed to make changes. Some of us need a sticky note that says “Drink More Water” or “Call Your Sister” on the mirror to serve as a daily reminder. While others need a higher level of accountability by booking personal training sessions or setting up certain days and times to walk with a buddy.

If the goal is to create within yourself and your environment a new mindset then those things can be accomplished without making a New Years’ resolution. The focus shifts from creating attainable resolutions to what will support a positive life.

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Creating a New Year and New You Mindset

There are suggestions all over the internet about how to create a positive mindset. An article from PositiveRoutines.com entitled 7 Easy Ways to Build a More Positive Mindset discusses what a positive mindset is and its importance. Here are a few to help you establish a positive environment in 2021.

1. Spend time with positive people.

There are scientific studies that tout how we, as individuals, tend to pick up the attitudes of those around us. It is important to surround yourself with people who lift us up and inspire us to be the best version of ourselves. If negativity is contagious then so is positivity.

2. Stop the negative self talk

As the old saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.” This includes stopping the negative things we say to ourselves, not just what we may say about others. As stress mounts in our minds and bodies, it can become difficult to drown out our inner critic. That little tiny voice that tells us we aren’t right for our jobs or that we cannot handle all that we have promised. Stop it! Stop telling yourself that ‘you can’t’ and start telling yourself that ‘you can’. Imagine the level of empowerment that can be attained if we begin telling ourselves things such as, “I can accomplish all that I need to do”, “my spouse thinks I am an amazing person”, or “I am beautiful on the inside as well as outside.”

4. Find a way to laugh, even during the tough times.

Laughing lifts your spirits! It is almost as simple as that statement implies. We laugh when we find joy or happiness and that laughter promotes mental, emotional, and physical positivity.

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Let 2021 be your best year yet!

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