Every New Year starts with good intentions.
We set goals.
We make lists.
We promise ourselves this will be the year things finally change.
And yet, for many of us, by February those intentions quietly disappear.
What I’ve learned, both personally and through working with clients for years, is that wanting change isn’t the problem.
The real issue is how we approach it.
Why Big New Year Goals Often Fail
What hasn’t worked for me is making a long list of everything I want to fix, heal, or create. It sounds inspiring at first… until it becomes overwhelming. When everything feels urgent, the nervous system shuts down and avoidance takes over.
Instead of doing all the things, what if you slowed it way down?
Try this instead:
- First 3 months: focus on one goal whether it is a relationship, career, health???
- Second quarter: introduce another
- Third and fourth: and another and integrate
Less pressure. More consistency. More ease.
It’s Not About Willpower – It’s About Awareness
If willpower were enough, you’d already have what you want.
What truly keeps us stuck isn’t laziness or lack of motivation; it’s the patterns underneath our behavior.
Every year we repeat the same cycle because we don’t look at what’s actually stopping us.
Why We Make Excuses (and Why They Make Sense)
Most excuses aren’t random. They’re protective.
Ask yourself:
- Am I avoiding failure by not trying?
- If I don’t move forward, do I get to avoid disappointment?
- Do I secretly believe I can’t handle success or the responsibility that comes with it?
- What am I protecting myself from?
Excuses are often strategies we learned long ago to stay safe. They once served a purpose.
The Key Is Not Fighting Your Excuses
Many people try to shame or “push through” their resistance:
“Why am I like this?”
“I should be over this by now.”
But shame creates more freeze not change.
Instead, try befriending your excuses.
Get curious:
- What story am I telling myself right now?
- What fear is underneath this thought?
- What part of me is trying to protect me?
When you stop judging these thoughts and start listening, they soften. And once they soften, they lose control.
The Thin Line Between Staying Stuck and Moving Forward
There’s always a thin line between staying where you are and stepping into what you want.
Most people wait until they feel ready.
But readiness doesn’t come by waiting, it comes by taking action.
What if you could handle it?
What if you tried and surprised yourself?
What if staying where you are is actually harder than moving forward?
A New Way to Approach the New Year
This year, instead of asking:
“What should I change?”
Try asking:
- What patterns have been running me?
- What fears have been making my decisions?
- What am I ready to look at with compassion instead of judgment?
Awareness changes behavior.
Compassion sustains it.
Want Support Along the Way?
If part of your New Year intention is learning how to quiet mental noise and move forward with more clarity, I’d love to support you.
I offer 12-Minute Breathwork Reset sessions…short, powerful practices to help you shift out of overwhelm and back into your body.
Join live here:
👉 www.breathbodyconnection.com/bw
Small steps create real change!!
Much Love,
Linda
linda@breathbodyconnection.com
