52 www . AspireMAG . net | February / March 2017
When
Resolutions Fail , Choose
Self-Compassion
BY KELLEY GRIMES , MSW
Did you set resolutions for the New Year ? Were you hoping to exercise more , meditate every day , make healthier choices about what you eat and / or lose weight ? Many of us participate in this yearly practice with the intention of nurturing ourselves and yet few of us are able to maintain our resolutions and end up feeling even worse about ourselves . If you can relate to any of this you are not alone .
But what if instead of beating ourselves up for not living up to our aspirations , we choose self-compassion ?
You see the start of a new year offers a wonderful opportunity to add new healthy habits into our lives , but the practice of making resolutions tends to be unsustainable . If we are not realistic about our goals , or have the support we need to meet them or the motivation or skills required to maintain our resolutions , they often fall away before becoming habits .
52 www . AspireMAG . net | February / March 2017