New Year, Same Bookish Blog

I woke up this morning to a newfound appreciation for being completely chilled.

To be fair, in my part of the world, the cold has gotten to bone-crushing levels so it’s hard not cave in and force yourself to be ok with it.

But beyond that, I spent the last few days in a slump wondering when that new-year motivation is going to kick in.

Then, I got to thinking about how much pressure some of us seem to be under, especially when it comes to the turn of a new year. I have been guilty of posting the annual ‘new year, new me, new goals and accomplishments to work my ass off on for about the first three months before giving up because the pressure and expectations got too much’…

It truly sucks.

I don’t know how many of you are in the same boat, but it turned the things I once loved doing into things I don’t even know why I started doing.

I love reading, and blogging about it, and writing, and connecting to other aspiring writers… but soon the need to post or to flip through a book in order to have a book review to post, or the pressure to update on a regular basis got too much. I found myself kind of dreading opening up my laptop or looking at my blog when once it was my little happy corner of the world.

I guess I am just here to say that if you are struggling this month to find the motivation or you are still reeling from last year and all that came with it… you are not alone.

There isn’t a need for a big ol’ list of expectation whether attainable or not.

There isn’t a need for searching for a better version of yourself to the point where you lose sight of yourself.

If you want to make goals, if they help you navigate and improve your overall health, mind, body, and soul.. go for it.

If you don’t want to make goals, if they just serve as a meter to which you feel you cannot maintain in good mental health… don’t do it.

And if like me, you cannot seem to find the motivation for either making goals or not making them… then be kind to yourself and let the days play out as they may.

Your mental well-being is important and you define your worth, not some goals or a great brand new year that creates the need for promises that may or may not be met.

This year, while I have no clue what it might bring I know at least one thing for sure. I will focus on being kinder to me.

I have struggled for so long with that concept. Being kind to myself is hard for so many reasons. But it has come to a point where if I can’t be kind to me, if I cannot have self compassion towards myself, nothing can ever be an accomplishment that I am proud of.

I hope this long spiel, of my own therapeutic need to vent, resonates with you.

Be kind to yourself and may the motivation, goals, and all the best things you wish for yourself, follow suit.