Moving Forward in the New Year

Coral Gables Counseling Center - Wednesday, January 26, 2022
By Katheryne Puentes, LMHC.

New Year, New Me, right? Or is it a New Year, Old Me? Depending on your journey, these questions can feel different because it gives us a different mindset. Sometimes if we try to forget ourselves or our past, we stumble onto old patterns. So, let’s consider our journey and how we have impacted ourselves or the individuals around us. We might promote a healthier change that we envision for ourselves if we think about our past patterns.

picture of bird of paradise

Is there a way to make goals for our future that consider who we are? 

The answer is yes. By finding where you are on your journey, you can set small achievable goals to get where you want to be. Sometimes, it is hard to make goals because we don’t know what we want out of life. Or when we do make goals, we never achieve them and then become disappointed in ourselves.

Does this mean that we have to make realistic goals for ourselves? 

The answer is yes; if we do not make realistic goals for ourselves, we set ourselves up for failure because we stop trying.

For example,

Your Main Goal:

Exercise every day for an hour starting on the 1st of January.

Factors to consider:

  • When was the last time you exercised?
  • What exercises would you want to try?
  • What times do you want to exercise?
  • What if you are sore, but you can barely move on day three?
  • What are your healthy eating patterns?

When setting a realistic goal, it is essential to consider where you are. It is okay to start your plan by working out once or twice a week and building up to your main goal. It takes practice!

Take your time in the beginning to achieve some of your goals, be realistic about them, and remain consistent.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals,

TREE REFLECTED IN WATER

adjust the action steps.” – Confucius