January Founder’s Corner: A Promise to Myself

January ushers in the familiar sense of a clean slate: a new beginning, and the revitalization of goal setting. “Let’s hit the gym, lose those ten pounds, and put Me first!” could be familiar thoughts rummaging around as we move into 2025. New Year’s Resolutions here we come! And yet, even as we make these vows to ourselves, in another week or two, many of us will be back to our usual routines…and those goals…sinking into the cold, January sunset.

In fact, here are some key statistics about the success and failure of New Year’s resolutions. According to a University of Scranton study, only 8% of people successfully achieve their New Year’s resolutions[1]. One report by Strava (a fitness app), reported 80% of people abandon their goals by February 1st, with January 12th often being referred to as “Quitter’s Day”[2]. Maintaining resolutions appears to correlate with age factors as well. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), younger people (18-34) are more likely to make resolutions, but people in the 35-54 age range are more likely to follow through. People over 55 also tend to be more successful, possibly because they set more realistic goals[3].

These statistics matter when you consider YOU in your life. You want more for yourself. You want to be the best version of You despite your present circumstances. You’d like to promise yourself that you can make this year the one that matters most. It’s beautiful, isn’t it…to have the freedom to start again and envision the levels of your human potential? It could even be awe-inspiring. And yet, the statistics persist.

As I write this article, the winter sunrise catches my eyes. Sunrises are different this time of year and today, there is more blue than gold weaving into the skyline. It’s softer and although less bold in comparison to those early morning summer rises, I find that the cooler blue hues morphing into velvet lavender feel more reverent, like something is transforming and awakening. A newness. A crisp sense of movement. The New Year. It is in motion and it’s already waking up around us. So, how do we capture the motivation of this precious time and not only create lofty goals, but watch them channel into habits that stick?

Just like the sun rises and the day moves swiftly through, it will eventually set and another day will be complete in the curve of this year. Fast. Endless. Day into night into day again. If you are like me, the cycle can almost feel dizzying, like a total eclipse of the heart, as the goals we have promised ourselves to achieve in 2025 might potentially be out of reach, as though we can never quite taste the sweetness of lasting, personal change. When we start to fall short of our own expectations, well…those negative, mental voices are just moments away from affirming failure. Or worse, we simply stop caring about ourselves. The thoughts such as “Who cares anyway… I’m not that important” begin to override the charm of personal growth. The promise of change…lost in the fog with the rest of the unfinished business within our lives.

This year, I proposed something different for myself as I went to write my yearly goals. In an effort to “start the year off right”, I took a short hike along the coastline and posted up on a bench overlooking River Beach. Leather journal in hand, I settled into the damp air and for a handful of minutes I just took in the view: the stillness of the water; the ruffle of wind pushing against my down jacket; the brightness twinkling off the sand. As I sat, thoughts drifted within my mind. I considered what my ‘word for the year’ would be and tossed a few ideas around. Sweetness. Stillness. Playfulness. I finally settled on the word “Presence” after staring out into the horizon and watching a pelican whoop down and dive into the frigid, salty water. Magnificent. I was transfixed and completely present. It even felt like a gift, and at that moment, I realized I wanted more. I wanted to be a magnet to these experiences, wanted to make time to be here, be now, and be alive. It almost hurt to know how far away I’d been from myself and the now. Thus, being present, or the action of “presencing”, was the first goal I wrote into my notebook for 2025.

The next words I wrote were a surprise because rather than creating that familiar list of To Dos, I wrote a promise to myself.

Dear Magnificent Self
I see you and I promise to see you more often
I promise to breathe more, and worry less
I promise to listen to my body and cherish what I am able to do
I promise to love you, Self
To be there for you, even when it hurts the most
Especially when the mind won’t stop complaining
I promise to give more time to you
and listen to your wisdom
I promise to witness your light
And let it hold me in the dark
I promise. I promise. To show up.
Do the work. And no matter what,
I promise, dear Self, you will be important to me

This year, I wonder if you will join me in making a promise to yourself. While setting resolutions and goals can be powerful, I invite you to start that process with a softer or more meaningful approach. Grab a cup of tea and your journal and find a quiet place to pause. Write promises to Yourself that reflect the inner wisdom you seek. Once you have created your promises, read them, and then re-read them out loud. Maybe even read them to people who care about you. It is in this space that real goals can be manifested. There’s a sense of planting mental seeds that are more than just hearty goals.

Will you do this with me? Seek the gentler path toward your resolutions, a path which may actually have greater chance to survive the statistics? Get out of the way of planning outside yourself, and start planning within. Rise into Yourself. Set deeply within Yourself.

From my heart to yours, may being present today be among your greatest goals to achieve. And may every sunrise in 2025 take you closer to the best version of who You are, and be a reminder of the promises you will keep.

[1] University of Scranton, “New Year’s Resolutions: The Success Rate,” Journal of Clinical Psychology, 2019.)

[2] Strava, “The Impact of New Year’s Resolutions on Fitness Habits,” 2018

[3] American Psychological Association, “New Year’s Resolutions and Goal Setting,” 2020.