Progress, Not Perfection

THE NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW ENERGY FOR BETTERING OURSELVES. BUT A STRICT APPROACH TO GOAL SETTING LEAVES MANY FEELING DEFLATED AND DISAPPOINTED IN THEMSELVES IN NO TIME. THAT'S WHY I SUGGEST FOCUSING ON MAKING PROGRESS, RATHER THAN STRIVING FOR PERFECTION. READ ON FOR HOW THIS MINDSET MAY EMPOWER YOU TO MAKE 2024 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

- PRIYANKA ACHARYA

Here we are, dear readers, at the start of a new year! So many of us approach a new year with renewed optimism and determination to be our best selves. We purchase gym memberships, take a break from alcohol, clean out our cluttered spaces, and pursue wholesome activities. But there is a reason why most people break their New Year Resolutions by February itself, and that is because it is very difficult to sustain so many new practices started all at the same time. This is why wellness experts advise us to introduce just one new habit at a time, and make it a goal to practice that habit for 21 days straight. However we shouldn’t treat 21 as some magic number, because it can take longer for the habit to become second nature, but that is the minimum amount of time it takes for that action to become habitual.

Some people are very goal oriented and do well with rules and deadlines, whereas others who aren’t like this end up feeling bad about themselves because they “fail” so soon. That’s why instead of setting a standard of perfection to achieve, I focus on progress instead: there are some things I want to do more of, and things I want to do less of. I can be content as long as I am moving in that general direction, without strict parameters to make it a binary “pass/fail” situation. If you think this approach could work for you as well, here are some areas you can apply this to.

Less Stimulation, More Stillness and Presence