Consistency Over Perfection
It’s been two weeks since we rang in 2025. How are your resolutions coming along? Still at it, or have you lost your edge? Most of us find that it’s right about now that the sparkle begins to dull and we’re defeated already with plans for a “new me”.
New Year’s resolutions are challenging to sustain because they don’t allow us to miss a beat or have an off-day. Whether it’s a zero-carb diet, a juice cleanse, a 90-day workout routine or dry-January, there’s a lot of all-or-nothing thinking coupled with high expectations this time of year. In my experience, rigid regimens rarely work and sadly illicit feelings of self-criticism and even shame when we slip up, as we humans naturally do. So, instead of pushing through those uncomfortable feelings and allowing for a day of imperfection, we throw in the towel and retreat to the same old habits that we hoped to change on December 31st. Ughhh!
Would you like to try a different approach to 2025, instead of this worn-out cycle? I’d love to show you how to view personal growth and positive change in your life without the unforgiving regimen of restrictive rules. Several years ago, I discovered the power of taking stock of my personal values in late December and deciding what priorities I need to honor over the next twelve months. Sometime during the week in between Christmas and New Years, I create a quiet afternoon, reflect on the previous year and intentionally select the values that will guide me towards the life I imagine. I ask myself the following questions during this exercise: What am I striving for? What will help me be the best version of myself next year? What priorities will help me overcome the challenges of 2025?
After this reflection, I arrive at a limited set of priorities that steer my decisions. I find that five values are the most that I can deliberately honor each year, meaning that I can align my decisions and actions within these priorities. I frequently challenge my clients to do the same. I also remind them that the only way to truly honor one’s values is with time, energy and resources. These are our commodities as humans. Without these commitments, values are just words that look nice on the wall. If you’d like to try this exercise for yourself, https://www.think2perform.com/values/ offers a free online values sort that will help you chose your top five priorities for 2025.
Your calendar and photo reel are the true evidence of a value-driven year. I find it helpful to keep my values in a visible place as the reminder helps me to say “yes” to opportunities that align with my values and “no” to those that are at odds with them. When we consistently spend our time, energy and resources within our values, life just feels better. “Consistently” means making these choices more often than not; but, there’s room for imperfection; there’s room for being human; and there’s less shame about messing up and more hope in making the choice again tomorrow.
This photo of my snowy hike reminds me that today I honored my values of both PEACE and CHALLENGE. What will your choices tell you at the end of 2025? My hope is that you will sustain a life aligned with your priorities once you notice the benefit of your consistent, but not perfect, decisions over time. Cheers! www.wellnesswithlorraine.org
