Trying to Make Changes All at Once Is the Definition of Insanity
By: Christine Denker
Tags: Intentions, Personal Growth, Purpose, Change, Life Lessons

Trying to Make Changes All at Once Is the Definition of Insanity

Take it slowly and you’ll get it eventually

Photo by Nigel Tadyanehondo on Unsplash

But will I? Will I get it eventually?

Sometimes I wonder. As I ponder the end of 2020, I get flooded with all of these positive thoughts of what I want to do with my life in the next year.

I want to get back into running. I want to eat better. I want to write more. I want to get out of my comfort zone. I want to read more meaningful content. I want to be more fiscally responsible. I want to be more intentional with how I spend my time.

I want, I want, I want.

I want to do all of these things at once because I operate like a kid in a candy shop. Everything looks amazing and delicious, but if I try to do too much at once I won’t get anything worthwhile done and will end up with a stomach ache.

I will be bloated, uncomfortable, and find myself on the couch once again loathing that I did what I said I wouldn’t do. Again.

How to make 2021 different.

Unfortunately what I have described above is what I do every year without fail. So, if you’re looking for an expert to give tried and true advice about making resolutions stick, you have come to the wrong place. Stop reading and move on to another piece.

However, if you’re flawed like me, continue on my friend, and let’s see if we can get this figured out together.

Making the next year different isn’t about the year at all. It’s about what we can do right now on this day. There is nothing magical about January 1. Sure, it’s how the consumer industry makes millions of dollars, but there is nothing outstanding about it. It’s simply another day. We get a chance to make a fresh start every time the sun rises and we wake up to greet it.

So the first thing we can all do is stop putting pressure on ourselves to make changes on one specific day and all at once.

Secondly, we need to reframe our mindset. Instead of thinking about our changes as resolutions, think of them as intentions. When we have intentions, we realize there’s a pretty good chance we are going to mess up but that’s okay. We can start over again tomorrow. It’s not all or nothing, because we are a work in progress. We screw up all the time, so it’s about giving ourselves grace.

“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” — Anne Lamott

Meeting ourselves where we are currently is so important to living more intentionally. Five years ago I had run seven marathons and was in the best shape of my life at age 48.

Why would I think I could pick up right where I left off at 53? Yet, many of us think this way. We simply expect to be in the same place we left off. Insane, right?

Instead, start where we are and make moves from there. While there are so many intentions I have for the year, for me it starts with my physical health. When I feel good physically, the rest falls into place for me mentally and spiritually.

If you’re not sure where to start, this might be a good place. Begin slowly. Find a program that meets you where you are. While it will take some time to do the research, it’s worth it.

The Last Word.

Moving into 2021, remember that it’s not about the new year. It’s about the new day. We are human and that means we are flawed. We screw up and we fail, but it is never fatal.