Why?
Because I always felt like I was setting myself up for failure.
No matter how resolute my good intentions were, by January 15 I was getting tired of any challenge I had set forth for myself and by February 1, I was firmly entrenched in and back to my bad habits.
Now there is even more pressure to contend with. It’s known as THE WINTER ARC.
It seems to be a social media generated, self-improvement initiative where we are focusing on self-improvement in the final three months of the year (typically October 1 to December 31). I think the idea is to use the darkest and coldest days to re-change and re-invent and rejuvenate
I get that, but those dark icky days are in January and February – NOT in October and November and December. Those months are glorious:
- Blazes of colorful leaves
- Fire pIts
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- Chanukah and Christmas
Are you kidding me???
Embracing THE WINTER ARC template means I can’t fully enjoy those glorious fall months without feeling pressured to start my boot camp of improvement even earlier.
WTF?
Well guess what?
I’m not ready to pass up the most glorious season of the year to concentrate on building healthier habits.
That’s what the disgusting month of January is for – working on my personal self -improvement:
- Giving up Cokes
- Drinking more water
- Seeing a nutritionist to get a handle on supplements needed
- Trying out a hot yoga class
- Doing daily my PT exercises for balance and flexibility
I’m simply not in the mood to work on that stuff before the New Year starts. It’s no wonder. Check out these suggestions for THE WINTER ARC found on the internet – designed to prepare for the New Year:
(You can’t make this shit up)
- Taking a cold plunge 4 times per week to build resilience and boost energy
- Drinking a gallon of water per day with electrolytes
- Eating produce and 30 grams of protein at every meal
- Staying below 35 grams of added sugar daily
- Eliminating alcohol
- Working out 20 to 30 minutes per day 5 days per week
- Decluttering or organizing one area of your home each week
To help us lowly motivated souls, there are:
- Curated resources designed to support an active and healthy lifestyle
- Training videos
- Tracking apps
- Daily progress charts
And in 12 weeks all these wonderfully fulfilling activities should become sustainable habits!
Whoopee!
Okay.
I get it.
THE WINTER ARC is a time to CUSTOMIZE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS and I am going to do just that !! My WINTER ARC is going to be a time for a seasonal reset centered around what matters most to me and my well being.
It’s not going to be fitness.
It’s not going to be boosting my mental acuity.
It’s not going to be fostering career growth.
It’s going to be: (drum roll here):
SLOWING DOWN MY PACE
I ‘m 79 years old
Who knows how many more WINTER ARCS I will be enjoying?
- So, I’m going to drink warm apple cider heavily spiced with cinnamon each morning.
- At 4 pm, I’m heading to my favorite coffee cafe for a spiced pumpkin latte.
- I’m taking time to mix-up my wardrobe – veering away from the same-old/same-old. I’m pulling out the hats, scarfs, and boots I seldom wear – performing a make-over and overhaul. I’m layering galore and snapping pictures of each creation I dream up so I won’t have to rely on my fading memory.
- I’m purposely crunching leaves on my morning walks.
- I’m actually carving a pumpkin for Halloween this year.
- I’m making hearty soups from scratch and adding as much salt as I want .
I’m slowing down the pace to leave room not just for accomplishment but for enjoyment. I am giving myself room to experience my life—to notice it, savor it, and choose carefully how I spend it.
I’m starting small:
- Drinking my coffee without simultaneously answering my emails.
- Leaving space between commitments.
- Listening without rushing to respond.
- Doing something for the pleasure of it, without needing a finished product.
- Letting my energy and my mood help determine my schedule, not my ever-burgeoning to-do list.
But most of all?
I will remember to count my blessings before I fall asleep each night
And I will fill my days with enjoyment, purpose and wonder.
I hope you will too.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
