Breaking the Resolution Rut

For a lot of us, January is busy and overwhelming. We’re returning to our daily routines while attempting to commit to New Year’s resolutions, which rarely ever stick past the first month. Amid the chaos, self-care becomes an afterthought, which can eventually lead to emotional and physical burnout.

Unpopular opinion: New Year’s resolutions are trendy but don’t really stick. Three years ago (wow!) as we all were emerging from the 2020 fog, the pressure that we- myself included- felt to complete all the things and “catch up” from the challenges of the year before was overwhelming.

So what’s the alternative? Since January 2021, I have helped my clients focus on the goals they’d like to accomplish before the year ends and we break the goal into “digestible bites,” or quarterly goals that can be dissected into sections with reasonable expectations and objectives. Once the goal is identified, I help them establish habits that align with the intended goal and we track them at the client’s pace.

For example, if my yearly goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, then my first quarterly goal of the year might consist of habits that focus on nutrition, such as taking supplements, eating at least one fruit a day, etc. As I track my habits over time, I might challenge myself with more habits that I’d like to organically incorporate into my routine, or just maintain my new regimen until I incorporate my second-quarter goal’s habits into my routine.

The Monthly Habit Tracker Journal includes weekly reflective journal prompts, bullet journal spacing, and is PDF compatible.

How is this connected to self-care? Habit tracking is a practical tool that guides the user towards integrating their desired self-care practices into their lives more consistently. After identifying the steps necessary and the required pace of time needed, the user is prompted to objectively reflect on their progress while completing the tracker.

When done consistently, mindfulness paired with habit tracking is far more effective than the idea of New Year’s resolutions.

Over the years I’ve helped clients track their habits to accomplish self-care at multiple levels, from massive weight loss to cultivating a balanced work/life routine for college students. The success in accomplishing better self-care habits comes from mindfulness and consistency in routine.

We’re only one week into the new year, but how are your resolutions going so far?

Need help tracking your self-care habits? Choose one here that fits with your desired goals.