Now is NOT The Time

It never fails- every year we vow to lose weight, get healthy, eat cleaner, and banish anything with more than 100 calories per serving. We plan, we track, and we strategize because on January 1st all is forgiven. All our past attempts and mistakes with dieting doesn’t matter. This time we will make it. This time we will succeed! One…month…later…it’s February, and we didn’t only fall off the wagon, the wagon was in a head on collision with a bucket of chocolate covered whatever. Oh well, there’s always next year? This constant cycle of failure is all too familiar. The heart is willing, but the flesh doesn’t want to hear it! It’s not the planner, it’s the plan. But it is also the timing. There really is a time for everything and just maybe January 1st is not the right time to make certain life changing resolutions.

For example, winter is the “season of rest”. It’s a time for slowing down and looking inward. Self-care, though important in every season, is especially critical during winter as we recharge our proverbial batteries and gear up for spring. In spring, we can look forward to “new beginnings”. It’s the cleansing and healing season. The spring season is a good time to make a fresh start by letting go of the things we no longer need including unhealthy habits. Summer is the “season of play” and a good time to go outdoors and be more physically active. It is also a great time to enjoy a new sense of freedom and adventure especially since we are no longer on the hook for those January resolutions. Now might be the time to try a new sport or activity or finally join that gym! By fall we are ready for the “harvest season” and building up our strength to get ready for the winter months. The fall season is a good time to dedicate ourselves to work and school and refocus on our health.

Trying to do anything outside of its natural rhythm is difficult to say the least and trying to tackle too much at once- lose weight, avoid sugar, eat more vegetables, etc. will only result in misery. So maybe instead of letting the date on the calendar dictate when we will miraculously change into the person we’ve always wanted to be, perhaps we should let the seasons guide our natural progression toward whatever we resolve to accomplish. For the record, there is no rule that says we have to make a resolution at all, and we certainly don’t have to do it at the beginning of the year. Research suggests that approximately 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail in as little as 3 weeks into the new year. By February, they are as good as forgotten and we go back to plotting next year’s winning strategy.

©Tasha D. Manigo-Bizzell