Here’s to a less toxic year of self-improvement spam. These are some things that I will not do in 2022.

This year, I will not feed into the idea that I am not enough on my own. I will not allow other people to influence me into believing that I need something or someone else to make myself better or whole. I will not allow any lover, friend, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, commercial, nor influencer tell me who I need to be. Given that, I will accept who I am at this moment, and any change that occurs will be because of myself alone. No one can tell me that doing my best in the situation that is presented to me is wrong.

This year, I will not…

1. Adopt other people’s goals.
2. Spend money on products that I don’t need.
3. Pay for self-improvement subscriptions (no more meditation apps).
4. Try to lose weight.
5. Deprive myself of foods that I enjoy.
6. Exercise until exhaustion.
7. Mold my true self to match what other people want/need.
8. Try to be the perfect partner.
9. Be tricked into feeling the need to be in a relationship.
10. Hold on to worries.
11. Stay in relationships with people who cannot reciprocate my feelings or efforts.
12. Spend several hours each day consuming media (news, social networking).
13. Stay up late at night and wake up early in the morning.
14. Work myself until burnout.
15. Force routines upon myself.
16. Spend leisure time with people whose company I do not enjoy.
17. Sit with pain without addressing it.
18. Rush into decisions without thinking through them.
19. Say “no” to things that make me feel happy.
20. Say “yes” to things that I don’t care about.
21. Pretend to be “okay” for the sake of others.
22. Allow anyone else to tell me what I should do with my life.
23. Minimize myself to fit into other people’s idea of me.
24. Let societal standards dictate my journey.
25. Write a word that does not inspire me.

Goals are important, but it’s more important that we think about why we are pursuing such goals. What unreasonable or uninspiring standards are society imposing upon us? What do we really want to accomplish, and what should we reject for our health and wellbeing?

Our anti-resolution lists or goals will be different based on our needs and patterns. What are some things that you are saying no to this year?

– sending you love, peace, and clarity- 

the mindful comedown.