New Year, Do you.

Happy New Year bb's! Just like that, another year has flown by. Except now I have to wait an unreasonable amount of time to listen to Christmas music, but whatever. The new year is usually super exciting for most people. "New year, new you." It's a chance for you to reinvent yourself. A chance for the list makers and the goal setters to impress us all with their ability to write words down.

Here's the thing though. If you aren't a list maker or a resolution setter, IT'S OKAY. Scrolling down all of my timelines this New Year, I saw several kinds of people. There's the "New Year, new me" group. The "I'm not setting resolutions so that you know I am better than you because I'm already perfect" people. And then my favorites. The people who didn't make you feel like shit for not having a 34 slide power point presentation on why 2018 was going to be your year. I love those people and those are the people that you should be surrounding yourself with this new year.

Dec 31, the clock strikes midnight. It's a new year, it's exciting. New Beginnings. We get it. You took it as the gunshot that indicates the beginning of the New Year race. You tell yourself things like "I will hustle the hardest," and "I will crush this all too long list of things I need to accomplish." Now while there is nothing wrong with that, remember it's not an obligation. Repeat after me:

"A NEW YEAR DOES NOT DEMAND CHANGE."

If that's the sort of thing that works for you, then I applaud you. However, it's not the sort of thing that works for everyone. I made a few resolutions and set a few personal goals. But this year I decided I wouldn't make lists. I wouldn't miss out on the excitement of being present by replacing it with the anxiety of not being enough.  It's incredibly easy to get caught up in the hype of cleanses, resolutions, purges, etc. There's nothing wrong with any of those things, but if they aren't for you, pass them.

Who you were when the New Year arrived is perfectly fine. Who you'll evolve into this year is not dependant on any list or plans, or extreme life changes you find necessary to prove you deserve to be here. Write the list if it makes you feel good. Do the cleanse if you believe it is beneficial to your highest good. If you feel overwhelmed and anxious when even thinking about participating in these New Year activities, take a step back and chill.

Grow at your own pace.

Listen, it's so easy to jump on the gram and write a motivational caption that makes it sound like I've been shooting up Red Bull since 4 AM. Watch me!

"New year, New opportunity to hustle. This year I'm going to do everything they said that I couldn't. I'm going to drink more water, work out consistently and eat better because we only have one body and we need to care for it. I'm cutting off all of the negative people in my life and I'm rebranding myself 8 times. It's 5 AM. If you aren't Already up doing shit you're already behind." 

Don't let shit like that discourage you. Grow slow, or grow fast. Grow at the pace that's suitable for your life and your mental health. Anyone can write a "get off your ass" post while on their ass. All of social media consists of CURATED content. That means I get to choose what I want you to see. So if I posted a picture of the treadmill from 4 weeks ago at 6 AM, and told you to get off your ass, but really I got out of bed at noon... Does it even matter?

My only actual resolution this year is to learn to live with my mental health issues rather than spending all of my time and efforts getting rid of them. I want to be more communicative and I want to be able to say things like "I don't want to do that," and "when you said this it made me feel like this," without feeling bad or guilty. I honestly felt defeated and overwhelmed, but still happy for the people who do function in that "New Year. Haul ass" kind of way. But then I realized that their way doesn't have to be my way.

I am at peace with who I am at this very moment. I have lots of growing to do, but I don't have to do it all in 365 days. So yes, I will moisturize as per usual. I will attempt to drink more water. I will mind my business and I will maybe get on a boat. Or maybe I'll just be an ashy dehydrated mess. Whatever this year brings for me and to me, I am open and accepting. I will work on manifesting everything that I want. I'll continue to work on self-love and being a kind human. I may accomplish it all, or I may not.  But I'll still prosper

New year, do you. 

xo