Rigidity Ruins Resolutions

To resolve or not to resolve in the New Year is an area of debate and personal decision. While resolutions are not for everyone, it can be helpful to spend time reflecting on the past year and recalibrate habits and behaviors. Whether you set a clear resolution or simply create new intentions, rigidity is an enemy of change. When desiring to change habits and behaviors, there has to be room for life to happen. Maybe your intention is to exercise more. When you're sick, tired, or have a period of slothfulness, do not allow yourself to get stuck in "all-or-nothing" thinking. For example, "I missed two weeks of exercise, therefore I have failed, so I'm not even going to try anymore." A better framework would be, "I have not been feeling well. Now that I am feeling better, I am going to try and exercise one time this week." Have the mindset of lifestyle change, which allows for reality to happen. Creating new habits and patterns in life requires time and intentionality. Life is grey; therefore, black and white (rigid) thinking does not correspond to reality. A powerful tool in helping to adjust expectations is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT can help adjust thoughts, which affect feelings and behavior. If you think CBT can help you adjust your expectations of yourself and improve habits and behaviors, feel free to reach out for a free consultation call.