Resolutions: The Long Game

Welcome to January 2022. Yes, 2022. Can you believe just two years ago we were on the brink of the whole world changing? The word “COVID” was only a whisper in our vocabulary. Nowadays, it’s hard to go a day without hearing or reading it somewhere. And while January 2020 feels like a lifetime ago, there’s one thing about the month of January that seems to stick around, regardless of a global pandemic. Resolutions.

Whether you love the idea of a resolution or not, throughout the month of January we’re constantly inundated by all sorts of messaging about eating healthier, waking up earlier, journaling more, saving money, practicing more yoga, and on and on. And with social media, we feel even more pressured to do it all perfectly, the first time. I don’t know about you, but for me, that feels like a recipe for failure. Especially when you think about the Januarys we’re so lucky to enjoy in the Pacific Northwest: dark, cold, and rainy. On paper, it doesn’t seem like the ideal time to start jogging daily at the crack of dawn.

In 2019, it was reported that only 7% of people who set resolutions actually completed them. 7! If you are a part of that 7%, amazing! Keep going. But if you’re like me, you’re a part of that 93% that has the best intentions to complete your resolutions, but find yourself stuck with an unfulfilled goal (I’m looking at you, books I said I’d read before the end of the year), and maybe feeling a bit defeated.

For me, one of the biggest goals I always had the intention of setting for myself, was waking up earlier. For years, I was staying up late, sleeping in, and always wishing I could be that person who’s sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the stillness that is those early morning hours before most of the world wakes up. But it was always the same cycle. I’d try to wake up early, I’d hit snooze a couple of times, and inevitably wake up at my normal time. Or, I’d wake up, completely sick with exhaustion, power through the day with an extra cup of coffee, and give up on trying it again. I never had the willpower to become a morning person, mostly because I had convinced myself I was a night owl by nature, and it simply couldn’t be helped. It was as if there was this little switch inside me that just needed to be flipped in order for me to be that early riser.

I wish I could tell you there was a big secret formula to how I flipped that switch in my brain. How I became the person who wakes up before the dawn even breaks, and how I’m early, or at the least on time, more often than not. And though it might not be what you want to hear, what really helped me make the change wasn’t some big secret or magic potion. It was one simple, but often frustrating thing that we never want to hear in our fast-paced, instant gratification world: time. Flipping that switch took time, and plenty of patience with myself. It took way longer more than just the month of January, when many of us feel the pressure to complete some arbitrary resolution simply because the calendar has flipped from 2021 to 2022.

Sometimes setting deadlines for ourselves does work. But more times than not, giving ourselves grace, and plenty of time is the key to flipping that habit switch, no matter what it might be. For me, being patient with myself, and slowly easing into going to bed earlier and waking up earlier was what did the trick. I had weeks of groggy mornings and nights when I wanted to stay awake, just to watch that extra Survivor re-run episode. But with practice, a little self-discipline, and a lot of patience from a partner who is an early bird by nature, I was able to start a more regimented routine that has overall made me less anxious, stressed, and happier with the person I am. Not to mention, some melatonin and sleepy time tea sure doesn’t hurt, either.

Trust me, this is not to say that I don’t have my moments. We’re all human, and it’s really easy to slip out of new habits and into old ones. We’re creatures of habit, after all. The key is to celebrate when you get it right, and not be too hard on yourself when it doesn’t work out like you plan.

I’m of the mind that we deserve to celebrate those achievements, even if they feel small to us or are already second nature to others. When I think about it, waking up at a reasonable hour doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment. To many, it’s what they’ve done their whole lives. But even the simplest change in your life can start a domino effect and open up the doors to so many other small habit changes that can transform your world. I hope that you don’t see the small habits you want to change as benign – they can be that first step that changes everything. And that’s not hyperbole.

So, this year when your noodling with the idea of setting a resolution, I urge you to reflect. Reflect on the achievements you have made, even if they might feel small. And on the flipside, reflect on those resolutions you have in the back of your head that might feel impossible, and just start.

Try waking up earlier, even if it’s only 15 minutes. Roll out that yoga mat and make space for yourself to stretch out and feel more at home in your own body. Head to our Produce Department and try that vegetable you’ve been a little hesitant about. Pick up that pen and write something in your journal, even if it’s a short sentence that says “I have no idea what I’m doing.” An awful lot of amazing things comes from that feeling of having no idea what you’re doing.

Whatever it is, just start. And remember that most resolutions worth sticking to don’t complete themselves in a month.