Are you in self improvement hyperdrive at the end of 2017?
Have you bought a new planner, gone over your successes and failures from this year, anxious to do better in 2018?
Once the champagne from New Year’s Eve is digested, you’ll be an energetic, resolution-achieving machine.
Or not.
Or maybe just through Februaryish.
I have a radical suggestion.
Let’s take a break from self improvement, just for a little while.
First of all, you’re beautiful just the way you are. Second, constant focus on self improvement is actually constant focus on yourself. It might be nice to turn that gaze outward once in a while. Third, how much disposable income have you spent on books, courses, athletic gear, bullet journals, etc.?
I’m not suggesting that we’re all perfect. I’m just saying let’s take a brief breather from calling ourselves names (fat, lazy, dummy) and just enjoy life. Every time you buy one of those books “for Dummies,” you’re shredding a tiny piece of your soul.
It’s good to aspire to be better, but when it manifests as constant self criticism, it’s not healthy.
My idea is that we all take the first quarter of 2018 and be a source of joy to others. That’s it. The more joy you spread, the more you’ve achieved.
If I catch you surfing Amazon right now, looking for a book about “how to spread joy,” you’re in big trouble.
Just live. No diet, no crazy exercise regime, no elaborate resolutions.
You can still set up goals for your business and plan your fiscal year. That’s outward-focused activity that’s fruitful. What I’m calling “time” on is the idea that you can’t eat a piece of chocolate cake without feeling guilty. Go ahead and make a chocolate cake for someone else as a surprise, and have a slice with them.
Make your children happy by playing tag with them instead of hopping on the treadmill.
That’s your task. Spread joy for Q1. I’ll bet we all love it so much that we forget to make resolutions for Q2.
What do you think, are you on board?
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash
