2018 Should Be About Putting Yourself First

It’s the start of a new year, otherwise known as an extremely intoxicating time for the Type-A among us. Think of all of the fresh planners to be cracked open, the iCals to be reorganized, the closets to be purged, and the variety of gym memberships to be bought! 

Or maybe you’re part of the far more common yet less celebrated group known as the Regular People. Sure, you have some things you’d like to be different in your life. But you tend to feel the weight of expectations flooding in as soon as you open your eyes on January 1. 

Guess what? You don’t have to wholly change, alter, amend, or “fix” anything about your habits in order to be successful this year. Instead of helping you to make a list of hard and fast goals to achieve and check-off, we’d like to soften the approach to 2018 by suggesting the concept of “You, First.” From that, everything else will flow.

When you get to the bottom of it, the foundation for contentment in life begins with the relationship that you have with yourself. It’s what precedes the relationships you have with your family, your coworkers, your friends, and your current or potential romantic partner(s). The better you come to know yourself, the better you can nurture, protect, and, in turn, offer yourself to others. 

As 2018 picks up steam — and it will, quickly — we encourage you to think about ways you can put yourself at the top of your resolutions list. In fact, go ahead and erase everything else. It doesn’t matter. It’s icing on the cake. Because when you have a “You, First” practice in place, you’ll be able to more truthfully participate in life — the way you want to live it. 

Stay tuned for more on how to create healthy boundaries, shift toward a mindset of intention-setting, create positive self-talk, and so much more. We’ll be participating in the journey alongside you, and we can’t wait to share what we learn. We can’t imagine a better way to start any year. 

By Caitlin M. Ryan