Costco Needs To Change It Up

Another year and movement feels minimal. Aren’t those the same decorations from last year? The sales started in October, wasn’t Black Friday one day a year? Those articles that circulate the news feed and checkout counter magazines surely aren’t new. How can a new year be underway and so much feel the same?

It wasn’t without effort. You made the New Year’s resolutions and started on a good path. Less alcohol, daily meditations, exercise, and meal prepping. It was all underway to help you become “The New You”. You know, the you that Instagram said you should be, the you that wakes up early and does one load of laundry everyday. The you that validates your children or partner, and really takes the time make sure healthy communication is a priority.

Something happened though, as it tends to, and for some reason this year’s resolutions closely resemble last years’- and not in a maintenance sort of way. Distractions became hard to ignore and boundaries fell apart quicker than a toddler with a broken balloon. Distracted by school schedules, and meetings, and deadlines you forgot about the daily meditation. The meal prepping fell to the wayside when the first bout of the flu hit, right along with that exercise routine. And as for the validation and healthy communication, let’s just say that the buildup of laundry and dishes distracted you from that too. Habits are hard to break and even harder to establish, especially when the only person holding you accountable is you.

Perhaps it’s even possible that you became distracted by the idea of your goals, so much so that you forgot to make time to take action. Social media has a funny way of playing mind games – comparing yourself to others, seeking empty validation, and providing a skewed perception of relevancy. In other words, all the posts and likes and feeds are VERY distracting.

So here you are a year later promising yourself to eat clean and make better choices, but why? Why do these resolutions (or goals or intentions) matter to you in the first place? If you forgot to ask and answer this question for yourself there is a strong likelihood that those distractions were welcomed with open arms. As I previously mentioned, change is hard and there must be some intrinsic value behind the effort. The changes need to be a part of your self-actualization, and not just something clever to bring up on December 31st.

As rewarding and beneficial as change can be, it’s worth noting that it also brings about loss and a need to grieve. Even if the loss makes room for a healthier, higher functioning you it still requires discomfort and accountability, states of being that are sometimes avoided at all costs. The five stages of change seem to hold hands with the stages of grief, and neither are linear.

Yes, in order to change you must openly and willingly invite loss and grief which is why the value and purpose behind the change is so important. There has to be a bigger reason to exercise than the number on the scale or bragging rights. The value comes from within, it’s about who you are and who you are trying to grow into. The person that runs a marathon has every right to brag, but the true value exists in the discipline and commitment developed. The real goal was to overcome the tendency to make excuses and learn to negotiate with the future.

This year could be different, you can be different, but you’ll have to be honest with yourself about your “why”. You will have to embrace the pain and loss that comes with change, a

s well as tolerate holding yourself accountable; anything worth doing takes time and effort. Odds are that Costco will have the same decorations on display next holiday season, but maybe you won’t notice, maybe the redundancy won’t reflect your own.