How did your first month of 2026 go? If your habits and behavior did not align with your vision for 2026, what derailed you? It’s never too late to re-calibrate your resolutions and get back on the beam.
Did you catch a cold or the flu which kept you from accomplishing all you wanted to? Beef up your immunity by recommitting to a healthy diet, plenty of water and an appointment with a health professional who can recommend some immunity boosting vitamins and regimens.
Did the cold, wet weather get you down? It’s not too late to reassess your situation so that you can brave winter weather more comfortably. I had to admit that my night vision was not great and, with it being dark more than half the day, I felt really limited in what I could do after 5pm. Non-glare glasses, rather than my usual contact lenses, seem to do the trick.
Merino wool leggings, tights under jeans and waterproof shoes and boots have also been items I’ve added to my winter arsenal over the years. This year I succumbed to the beanie trend, and bought cashmere beanies in several colors. I even have one with a built-in headlamp. They really help keep in heat but you sacrifice the hairstyle. Worth it.
Did you set yourself up for failure by making your resolutions too complicated or perfectionistic? If you planned to meditate daily but required yourself to be up at 4:30 in the morning with a special candle, incense and an hour of breathwork, dial it back. Could you do it later, make it shorter, try something completely different?
People really overcomplicate their resolutions—myself included. Here are some examples: diets that require you to purchase special foods; workouts that require special equipment; an inconvenient location or expensive trainer; money resolutions that are not based on real budget and income numbers; personal growth resolutions that require complicated journaling, rituals and online classes that don’t quite fit into a normal routine but that seemed do-able during the holiday vacation.
Keep it simple. Often abstinence is the simple solution to everything. It takes so many decisions off the table. If you abstain from sugar, immediately a whole array of unhealthy food is literally off the table. If you abstain from social media, immediately you will have a lot of extra time to be productive. Additionally, a host of ads targeted especially for you won’t be a temptation to overspend.
If you abstain from negative behaviors, suddenly you don’t need to add much—the positive behaviors will be what’s left. Not doing, not speaking can prevent a lot of apologies and backsliding. We tend to want to do and to add, but not-doing and subtraction are easier, cheaper and often more effective. That’s what the decluttering craze is about and if you stop clutter at the point of purchase, you are practicing abstinent, “not-doing” behavior. It sounds boring but the results are exciting. Like a friend of mine says, when your behavior is black and white, your life becomes techn