December. Yowza. Here we are in the sprint to the year end. On the other side of Thanksgiving and well into a host of celebrations with Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and more.

Guess what else is rapidly approaching? The flip of the new calendar year. And the accompanying pull to harsh on ourselves with how we didn’t meet some sweeping goal we set: Get promotion. Lose weight. Make more money. Less time on devices. Cultivate a meditation practice. Be nicer or more patient. You get the drift.

Note: If you’re one of those people who has kicked New Year resolution making to the curb in favor of a more productive and achievable way to goal-set, good for you! Allow me to point you to other posts on making it through the season, whether it’s about listening well or being present.

I know lots of people who are outwardly pshaw-ing New Year’s resolutions, and I also know that plenty of those same people are filled with regret that things didn’t go their way. And for that group of us, the new year – well, it’s looming, isn’t it? Taunting us, imploring us with: “Be better in 2018!” and “Do more!” and “Here’s how you fell down on your promises in 2017!” and all that noise. It can be maddening, and drive us to take on even grander and less realistic goals.

Don’t know where to start? My personal favorite way is to do an inventory of the things I am already doing differently and perhaps better than last year. Whatever area of your life you’re focusing on (home, professional, family or friends), take that info on what’s currently working for you and start to build on them by adding in some tiny incremental changes. Starting small can help you conquer the overwhelm that comes with the sweeping proclamations and promises typical of New Year’s resolutions (Tip: these only set you up for failure).

In my next post, I’m going to help you build on those changes further. If you have trouble getting started with your inventory – click here, sign up for a free consult call and let me help!