soft start to a new year

welcome back to Sunday Goods!

i truly can't believe its the end of the year WOW!

there’s something about December that makes us (or me at least) want to reinvent everything at once.
the year wraps up, we look back on what we didn’t do, & suddenly the new year becomes a blank page we try to fill with the biggest, boldest promises:

i’ll change everything.

i’ll wake up earlier, work out more, eat cleaner, hustle harder, never fall behind, never feel anxious again.

but here’s the truth we often forget:
extreme expectations don’t equal extreme growth.
they usually equal burnout, disappointment, & self-blame. (i've had to learn that the hard way)

we set unrealistic goals → we try to change too much too fast → life happens → we can’t keep up → we feel like failures.

i like to call that the pressure cycle.

& that feeling, that heavy “i didn’t do enough” weight, is far worse for our mental health than setting small, sustainable intentions ever could be.
it’s not that goals are bad.

it’s that goals without grace leave no room for humanness!!!!!!!!

so what if,

instead of sprinting into January, we strolled?
instead of demanding rapid transformation, we chose gentle consistency?
what if your new year didn’t need to be a full personality reboot,
but a gradual strengthening of who you already are?

not:
“i’ll run five miles every day.”

but:
“i’ll move my body in ways that feel good three times a week.”

not:
“i’ll never feel anxious again.”
but:

“when anxiety shows up, i’ll try to meet it with tools instead of shame.”

not:
“i'll completely change my life.”
but:
“i’ll stay loyal to the habits that support me, even on the days I mess up.”

because growth that’s rooted in kindness doesn’t collapse when life gets heavy. *mic drop*

here are 3 intentions to bring into the new year that won’t drain your spirit:
1. choose small habits that your future self can maintain.
five minutes of movement daily beats a month of going all-in and quitting.

2. practice self-talk that sounds like encouragement, not criticism.
you wouldn’t scream at a friend for slipping up. offer yourself the same grace.

3. celebrate progress instead of perfection.
if you showed up today, even a tiny bit, you’re moving forward.

gentle reminder: rest is part of the plan

you do not need to earn rest.
taking breaks doesn’t remove momentum, it protects it.
every living thing cycles through seasons, & winter is a season of slowing down so spring has room to bloom.

so, instead of new year, new me, how about:
new year, same me, but softer, stronger, more patient.

because your worth isn’t determined by how dramatically you change,
but by how consistently you show up for yourself, even when it’s quiet, small, & imperfect.

so excited for what's to come!!!! stay tuned!!!!

with care,
elle