Hot take: the practice of setting New Year’s resolutions is counter-productive for actually taking charge of your long-term growth and change. I am wholeheartedly against the phrase, “New year, new me/you/us.”

Setting goals? Absolutely. Even committing to accomplishing a goal in 12 months time? Sure, timelines are motivating. Growth? I am ALWAYS here for that.

So what is my problem with New Year’s resolutions?

A resolution says, ‘I want big changes now’ without giving yourself the tools you need to support those changes.

It’s basically saying, “I want to run” when you’re still figuring out how to walk. Your sights are set on achieving a certain distance or time before you even figure out how to take the first couple of steps.

Also, what happens when you suddenly decide to literally pick up running and go for a sprint one morning? So much pain, loss of motivation, and feeling like you let yourself down before you even allowed yourself to actually get started.

When setting intentions for growth, take the time to break these up into smaller, achievable milestones focused on both process and progress. 
It’s about changing your mindset on how you set goals. Let’s compare the difference between setting ye standard Resolution versus a dual Manifestation and Plan.

That’s already two months of growth mapped out, but mapped out in a way that makes it so much easier (and less dangerous) to get started. This method can 100 percent be applied to whatever goals you have. But no lie, this process can be super intimidating, and you might be thinking about your own goals and getting discouraged on how to break this into smaller steps.

Journaling is my favorite way to really examine my inner self by discovering or uncovering the emotions I’m hiding, or what I’m hiding from. Everyone shies away from new things because of fear – fear of failure, fear or rejection, or even a fear of not knowing what to do next if you get the thing you think you want.

Getting started is the hardest part. Need a supportive accountability buddy?

That’s why I created my newest workshop, and made the start date in early January. During Where Are You in Your Style, we’ll combine tools to work on your growth and incorporate how and whether your current wardrobe really allows you to show up for yourself. We’ll meet virtually every Thursday evening for group journaling sessions, deep conversations, meditation, and more. Sessions will also be available on-demand!

Where Are You in Your Style starts this week, and registration closes Tuesday January 5th at 11:59 p.m.

Bonus: Quick tips!

Here are some really fantastic tips from my Director of Intuitive Operations, Maddie Presland! Maddie helps me stay organized with my business (along with SO many other creative things behind the scenes), so I know that you will love her suggestions!

From Maddie: 

Sharing a few easy methods that help me get shit done, even when I really don’t want to do them. I’m hoping these might inspire you to start the thing you’re procrastinating, the task that’s haunting you, or even trying something brand new.

Set a timer for 30 minutes and JUST DO. Half an hour is not a lot of time, but you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in that time. Set a timer and go without overthinking it. I use my phone to set the timer, and this method applies to everything from power cleaning the house to helping me overcome creative blockers.

Speaking of phones… Sometimes you need to stop yourself from getting distracted or even doom scrolling when you should be practicing self care. I recommend the Flora app – you set a time duration, and the app grows a plant during that time, and you can’t switch out of that app until the timer is up. For some reason, being reminded that I’ll endanger the growth of my virtual blueberry bush is super motivating for me to avoid Instagram etc. when I’m supposed to be doing other things.

Experiment with systems. Mapping out your goals and how to achieve them can range from a very stylish Bullet Journal to a simple Google Doc or note on your phone. Find what works best for you, is convenient, and can be updated on the go. Set a reminder or make a note on your calendar to update this once a week.