In: Intentions, Out: New Year’s Resolutions

Written by: Kristen Albano

Ahh, the new year..

A time where folks create their list of new year’s resolutions they hope to achieve.

Honestly, I know we’re already a week and a bit into the year, but it really felt like the new year started when I returned to my routine on January 6 sooooo here we are lol.

As per Webster, a new year’s resolution is “a promise to do something differently in the new year.”

But why do we need to wait until the new year to do something different? We have 365 days in the year to enact change; but it’s so easy to want to wait for the “right time” to start doing something differently.

This all-or-nothing mindset is something us therapists like to call a thinking trap.

A thinking trap is exactly what it sounds like - a way of thinking that we can get stuck in. And thinking traps often lead to anxiety, stress, perfectionism, negative thinking, and low mood.

Some examples would be..

“I have to go to the gym 5x/week or else I have failed my resolution,”

“If I eat poorly at breakfast, my whole day is ruined and I can just eat poorly for the rest of the day,”

“If I snooze my alarm once, I might as well turn it off and wake up when I wake up,”

“I didn’t start on January 1st, so I have to wait until February 1 to start.”

Honestly, I’m pretty guilty of all-or-nothing thinking too. Truthfully, there’s times where I take a break and plan to go back to work right on the hour. If I miss that hour by 2 minutes, then I wait until half past the hour.

Why? Because I’m not immune to thinking traps either.

I find that New Year’s Resolutions force folks to put a lot of pressure and expectations onto themselves.

Like most topics, a quick google search provides you with tonssssss of ideas on various new year’s resolutions.

But again, this all-or-nothing mindset often produces more harm than good.

So, what do I do instead?

Instead of setting a bunch of new year’s resolutions I know won’t be sustainable throughout the entire year, a practice I’ve adopted over the last few years has been setting a word as my intention for the year.

What does this mean?

It means I choose a word that I want to incorporate into the things I do, and a way to help inform the decisions I make.

I’ve found this to be a fun take in my therapy work with clients. Of course, it is fun to reflect on goals we want for the new year, but I prompt them to reflect on an intention they want to set for themselves. 

A word to fall back on seems to be a lot easier and less intimidating than the list of resolutions one sets for themselves.

As for me, my word for the year is balance.

I came up with my word for 2025 after reflecting on everything the past year. I did a LOT. 

I spent a lot of time creating this business, I spent a lot of time with clients, and I did not spend as much time with myself as I would have liked to, so alas.. balance is the word.

For this year, balance in my professional life means striving to work within my working hours, and capping the amount of clients I see. This will allow me to feel balance in my work as a therapist and as a business owner. This will also have a positive impact on my well-being as I strive to work within my limits and do what I know I have the capacity for.

By working on balance in my professional life, it will, in turn, allow balance in my personal life as well. I will have time for me. I won’t have to worry about constant 14 hour work days, but can instead focus on fueling my body with the self-care it needs to get through my work days.

Balance.

But hey, if New Year’s Resolutions are for you - then do what works best for YOU! Work with what you know about yourself.

But just remember, you don’t have to wait for a new week, a new month, or a new year to make a change.

We’re human, we’re allowed to make mistakes and change whenever we feel like it.

And, as always, remember to be kind to yourself.