I get it. The slogan we hear year after year — “New Year, New You” — is catchy. It’s got the marketing marvel of simplicity and succinctness, as well as offering hope to stick to those robust resolutions of becoming, a “NEW YOU.”
Well, it may be catchy, but the slogan is dead wrong. In fact, it’s a setup.
This might be big news, but you are the same “you” on January 1, 2016 that you were at 11:59 p.m., December 31, 2015. And that is a good thing!
This slogan is a huge contributing factor to the results of research conducted at the University of Scranton and reported in Forbes magazine recently. The research suggests that just 8 percent of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
Have you ever said “I’ll start on Monday” after a weekend of overeating? How about, “I am never drinking again” after a few too many, and a hangover that could take out an alligator? Ever wonder why those resolutions haven’t stuck?
Here’s the bigger question: What is wrong with the “Old You,” anyway?
To do anything in this life — change, grow, learn, or create — you need to be your old selves. We all need the bumps, the bruises, and the broken hearts of our history to cultivate the wisdom that’s desperately needed to make any changes going forward.
Your old self is where it’s at! It houses the rich, extraordinary experiences you must draw upon to be a better person, lose weight, spend more time with your family, join a gym, get organized, be less stressed, drink less, stop smoking, decrease debt, volunteer, or any other of the number of resolutions made each year by millions of people.
Sure, it feels good to resolve wishes and end the tension that you might be feeling. But change is not a quick process, and it absolutely requires that you don’t just toss out your old self.
On the contrary, true transformation starts with gathering all your experiences and information and taking a look at it from a different angle. The way to change — really change — and get closer to achieving the desires of your heart is by shifting your view.
So, instead of “New Year, New You,” I say New Year, New View!
Take a moment — heck, vow to take many moments — to excavate the old you and your experiences, make real contact with yourself, and by all means get curious before critical and take a fresh look, knowing that the past is your lesson, the present is your gift, and the future is your motivation!
Posts by Dr. Holly Lucille
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