Lose weight.
Exercise more – hell – start exercising.
Quit smoking.
Start walking.
Read more.
Watch less TV.
Eat better. Eat less. Eat mindfully, or not at all.
Go to the gym or at least sign up at a gym, go to meet a friend and drink coffee by the elliptical machine.
Cut up credit cards.
Get more sleep.
What are you fixing?
What do you want to change?
What needs to be eliminated?
What ought to be included?
Where do you begin?
In the plant world, new growth is supported by existing growth. The old growth may be trimmed or pruned to make room for the new, but the old is still necessary.
New growth is fed by what comes before.
Acknowledge what you have done well.
Appreciate what is already good.
Focus on the steps you’ve taken so far.
Build slowly to create lasting, healthy change.
Add on to the strong foundation you’ve built up to this point.
Keep what is working, prune what doesn’t benefit you, and allow space for new growth.
There’s no need to start from scratch. There’s no need to beat yourself up for missteps.
Stop psyching yourself out about the first day of January. Quit letting the calendar make you feel bad about yourself.
Don’t turn healthy changes into a big issue.
Incorporate change in small, steady ways – each day. If today isn’t the day to go to the gym, let that be okay.
Take the pressure off of yourself.
Tonight, after brushing your teeth and reading a couple pages in that self-help book, revisit your day. Think of the things that have gone well. Think of what you might do differently tomorrow.
It’s okay.
Keep trying.
Go slow.
Be kind to yourself.
This isn’t a race.
You’ll get there.
New growth takes time.
