Fresh Start: Beauty + Burden
How are we feeling about 2025 so far? I polled my Instagram followers this week, and the results were mixed. Lots of feeling behind, so-so + meh about 2025… this is so normal at this time of year. As the “new year” motivation fades, we objectively look at how the last month went, it’s easy to feel discouraged. Plus it’s cold and dark.
But it’s also an interesting time for perfectionists, because like a “new year”, a “new month” is right around the corner. Another chance for a fresh start. If you are feeling motivated again - capitalize on it!! But if you are feeling like the fading 2025 motivation outweighs the growing February motivation (as I suspect most of us are) here are some things you can do about it.
Change your mindset
Easier said than done.. But “January 1st” is just a day. It’s our belief about the fresh start it provides that allows us to feel motivated. What if we didn’t believe that? What if we believed every day was an opportunity for a fresh start, what if we believed every hour of the day was a chance to start fresh? The waiting until the “right time” myth we tell ourselves is holding us back, big-time.
If you can’t flip the switch so easily, here’s something else to try.
Grab your journal, a pen (+ of course a huge dose of self compassion) and answer these questions…
What is the cost of waiting until I feel ready? Think about personal, professional, financial, relationships…
What do I need to believe to feel ready now? What can I tell myself to help solidify this belief?
Remember that shaming + guilting ourselves into action only really works once. Then we have to ramp it up to keep accessing that willpower. This makes us more and more miserable as we go. We will inspire more action if we treat ourselves compassionately and offer encouragement at every opportunity.
If you need a little external accountability, here’s some things you can do:
1- Tell someone you trust what you are going to do. Don’t ask them to keep you accountable, that just leads to resentment.. But simply by speaking the action, I find us perfectionists are more likely to do it.
2- If you want longer term accountability, you can sign up for coaching. Coaching is an amazing way to learn how to self-motivate, to see your blindspots and to get personalized support as you move towards your goals. Book a free call if you are interested in exploring your options.
