Fallen ‘off the wagon’ this year? Needing a reset? Ready to ‘start over’?
* Insert all the other diet cultured phrases and terms society likes to use to grab our attention, swirling our brain into a series of desires to change our appearance, our looks, our job, setting our intentions to ‘fixing’ and ‘changing’ ourselves.
Don’t forget 🌺
That in ringing in the New Year, you are under no obligation to change yourself based on the following standards or expectations: Society. Family. A partner. Media. Perfectionism. Or any other various outside expectations that may not know or understand YOUR story.
Remember when setting goals for 2022, loving on yourself and striving for goals that align with your morals and values are far more important than obsessing about weight, calories, imperfections, a number on a pair of jeans or miles that you run.
In this moment, you are enough, perfectly imperfect- just as you are. Don’t let diet culture fool you. According to the attached Psychology Today article, ANY diet has a 98 percent failure rate, attributing to a whopping $60.9 billion dollar ‘profit’ that goes to the very industry that undermines our TRUE health, value and worth.
Often, we get stuck in the cycle of glamorized thinking that, ‘When I reach THIS goal, I will finally be happy.’ But when that person gets their dream car, job, or bonus, they often STILL feel defeated and unhappy. External items do not equate to internal contentment.
We can choose to be content right here, right now- in this present moment, practicing gratitude for the life that we live today. Radical acceptance does not mean that everything is perfect, but rather shows that we choose to accept the moment no matter what.
Intentions that are based on SMART expectations (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time bound) tend to lead to that feeling of accomplishment more often. We tend to follow these realistic goals longer than lofty expectations that are too overwhelming, creating shame and guilt when not “stuck” to, perpetuating the idea that “I’m a failure.”
What these SMART intentions for everyday (not just the beginning of the year) from your friendly anti diet HAES therapist may sound like:
Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time bound: I will drink 32 oz of water each day before 11 am. I will check in with this goal at the end of the week to see how many days I was able to accomplish this. I will review the barriers to this goal and adjust as needed. I will celebrate my victories, too!
- Perhaps I need a different type of glass/water bottle to make this intention more viable.
- Maybe try some flavored water- add some cucumbers or lemon.
- Do you like room temperature water or ice water?
See? Setting goals doesn’t have to be “black and white!’
You may also find that you need to start with smaller steps or phases to prepare you for engaging in any goal overall.
Maybe phase one is just starting by setting an alarm to remind us to sip some water.
Then move to phase two which is the goal to finish 32 oz by 11 am.
Finally, don’t allow the DARK side of perfectionism to create the mentality that if you can’t reach your goal “perfectly,” then why even do it at all…?
SO, are your goals for 2022 SMART? Start small. Praise yourself for meeting goals and crushing your dreams instead of focusing on fleeting resolutions that may leave you feeling unmotivated and hopeless. Happy New Year’s Everyone! May it find you safe and healthy.
