Don’t Make a Resolution

Happy New Year!

It’s that time of year, isn’t it? When we all imagine the best versions of our selves, where we only eat organic vegetables, have a resting heart rate of 23 and 0.3% body fat, never miss a day of reading/exercising/being Mother Theresa, and probably save the planet while we’re at it.

And then January 23 rolls around and we’re already back to regular life, eating potato chips and donuts, yelling at our kids while we stare at our phones, veg out to Netflix, and forget our reusable bags… again.

We aren’t made to change completely overnight. And just because the calendar says it’s a new year on January 1 doesn’t mean that it’s not just another Wednesday in our real lives. We still have to get out of bed, live in the home we already have, in the body we already have, with the stuff  and people that are already there. We have patterns and habits that take time to shift and change.

And that’s okay.

BUT.

“Know better, do better.” — We can’t change and live completely different lives in the blink of an eye. But we CAN focus on one small change. Work on one habit or pattern we can adjust. Be a little better than we were yesterday.

So that’s my challenge to you today. It’s the first Saturday of January. You still have almost 4 weeks left until February. Choose ONE thing you can do this month to make your life a little better, greener, more friendly to our Earth. Make it small and doable. Tell your family, a friend, or me if you want some accountability. Write it down somewhere to remind you. Just focus on one.

And when you mess up on Day 3 of this habit, give yourself grace and try again tomorrow. This is not an all-or-nothing deal. We cannot let it be, or we know it will be nothing. Step by step, try and fail and try again… Progress Not Perfection!

And once this has become a habit, add another. This is how we make LASTING change, which is what our planet needs.

I’m including a list below of small habits you can add to your life this month. Pick one, and let me know in the comments below which one you’re focusing on. I’d love to cheer you on!

January Living Lightly Habit Ideas:

• Bring a reusable mug to get your morning coffee.
• Say no to plastic bags.
• Don’t buy something online and have it shipped if you can get it at a local store.
• Take the bus or carpool instead of driving alone.
• Buy fair trade.
• Unplug your toaster, TV, and other appliances when you’re not using them.
• Put your food waste in a compost bin instead of the trash.
• Borrow a book from the library instead of buying it, or get the electronic version.
• Eat meat-free one day a week.
• Go outside for at least 15 minutes every day.
• Look for things secondhand before buying new.

Starting small and continuing is better than starting HUGE and stopping after a few days or few weeks. You can do this. We can do this.

Don’t make a resolution. Make a habit.