New Year Goals: Habit Stacking and Embracing Your Whole Self

Every January, the phrase “New Year, New Me” promises a fresh start. However, expecting a complete transformation overnight is unrealistic and often leads to disappointment.

In the rush to become the “new me”,  it’s easy to be overly harsh towards past versions of yourself.  You might dwell on last year’s mistakes or feel guilty for slipping on your 2025 goals just a few days in. That inner self-critic tends to get louder, pointing out flaws and failures while ignoring the incredible things you’ve already achieved. 

 Please remember every version of you deserves love, kindness and acceptance. Instead of dividing yourself into “new” and “old”, focus on embracing all of you, imperfections included.  You don’t need a total transformation to be good enough. You are already enough, exactly as you are. 

 With that in mind, you can still set goals and get excited for the year ahead. We just need to make sure they’re realistic and achievable goals that fill you with hope instead of dread. Habit stacking is a great place to start. It works by pairing a new behaviour with something you already do daily, using the existing habit as a cue. 

 For example, if your goal is to journal daily, pair it with making your morning tea. Brew your tea, then spend five minutes journaling while you sip. Once this becomes second nature, you can stack another habit, like adding a healthy breakfast after journaling. 

 Over time, these small, manageable steps can build a solid routine that adds stability to your everyday life. Take your time stacking each habit, and make sure you’re repeating them every day. Consistency is key! 

 New year goals don’t have to be about erasing who you were or becoming someone entirely new. They can be an opportunity to accept your whole self and move forward with kindness.