Why you shouldn't make New Years Resolutions in 2021

January is not a magic pill

The ‘new year-new you-fresh start-new leaf-possibilities’ messages are already beginning to grate and it turns out it’s not just me. I worked with a client this afternoon who finds these sorts of messages really hard to handle. The word she actually used was ‘inadequate’. Because it can feel like the whole world is bouncing out of bed full of enthusiasm, focus, motivation and determination merely because it is now January. And so it can leave those who are not feeling like this a little dejected. The fact is that if you felt stuck in an area of your life in December then you will not now be unstuck just because we are in a new calendar month. January is not a magic pill. If you were feeling unfulfilled at work 4 weeks ago then it is highly likely you still feel that way now. If the idea of dating was filling you with dread in the Christmas run up then the chances are it still feels daunting now. If your confidence tank was running on empty in 2020 (who wasn’t!) then you’re probably starting 2021 the same way. Change does not come with a flick of a calendar page. Change comes with some work, by taking some action. By working on the underlying beliefs, thoughts or behaviours that are resulting in your version of stuck. And many people have jumped on the resolution bandwagon without much thought to what would really make the greatest difference to them. So if you, like my client today, are feeling a bit fed up of all these messages then be a rebel….ignore them and DO nothing. Use January as a month to quietly reflect on what is going on for you. What is going well? What is not feeling so great? What might make a difference? Then when everyone else is entering February clinging on to their resolutions for dear life you can step forward, knowing where you’d like to focus your energy in order to make the most positive changes to your life, for the long term. And if you’d like some help reflecting on what’s going on for you then email me @ emmajefferys@me.com and I’ll send you a free tool to kick off your thinking