Written By: Christy S. Renjilian
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? Or identify a word of the year?
Or maybe you took a look at your life and set goals or priorities.
If you’re anything like me, you struggled with accomplishing all of the above.
This year I am trying hard to set meaningful, mindful goals and priorities. To focus on what I need and want more of.
If you read my previous blog, you know some of them…
To extend internal grace. And practice patience.
To simply be and not always feel like I have to do.
I made a handful of professional goals, too. Like securing a new five-year Early Learning Resource Grant for CCC. And effectively leading and collaborating with my team, creating and recreating our vision for our work, culture, and goals.
And maybe you’ve heard our big announcement, we’ve rebranded CCC from Child Care Consultants to Community Connections for Children. Stay tuned for more information!
In 2023, I want to challenge myself to find ways to share the lessons I’ve learned as a leader with others. And to seek out and learn from aspiring leaders in my community. To find ways, in particular, to support women leaders, especially those in the next generation.
And then there are big, BIG goals… like moving the bar of progress in the early childhood education field and improving the financial conditions within the industry.
As well as educating, challenging, and nudging community leaders in the private and public sectors to make meaningful systemic changes.
Current Trends Around New Year’s Resolutions
Have you ever wondered how others feel about this time of year, and the goals or resolutions they set?
In a recent poll conducted by Forbes Health/OnePoll, “29% of respondents stated they feel pressured to set a new year’s resolution.
And more people cite improved mental health as a top resolution (45%) compared to improved fitness (39%), weight loss (37%), and improved diet (33%).”
And New Year’s resolutions struggle to stick with us.
According to a OnePoll survey of 2,000 Americans in 2020 and reported by the New York Post, “February 1 is the day we call it quits on our New Year’s resolutions. It takes just 32 days for the average person to finally break their resolution(s) — but 68% report giving up their resolutions even sooner than that.
In fact, one in seven Americans never actually believe they’ll see their resolution through in the first place.”
Dismal statistics, which is why I set both specific goals and overarching goals. And fill my social feed, inbox, and life with uplifting messages to keep me on track.
And today, I’m bringing you a bit of support as you reach for the goals, visions, and resolutions you’ve set for 2023.
Seven Quotes to Give You Encouragement
- Goals give us direction. They put a powerful force into play on a universal, conscious, and subconscious level. Goals give our life direction.”
— Melody Beattie
- “Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen – that stillness becomes a radiance.”
— Morgan Freeman
- “What would you do if you were putting yourself first in your own life?”
― Ingrid Clayton
- “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
— Hal Borland
- “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.”
— Nido Qubein
- “But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others…It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.”
— Brené Brown
- “As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.”
— Tracee Ellis Ross
Stay True To Yourself, Always
It’s important not to get caught up in the hype or in the hustle culture that the Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuks of the world promote.
Staying true to yourself often happens in the simple things, the things you believe intrinsically. And if you’re like me, you want to embrace those things. For me, it looks like finding a better work-life balance and practicing self-care.
Trying new things AND giving myself permission to do nothing at all.
I hope 2023 is a year in which you reflect on your real priorities and what brings you joy, and you give yourself permission to do more of that.
Additional Reading
Forbes: New Year’s Resolutions Statistics 2023
NY Post: The Average American Abandons Their New Year’s Resolution By This Date
About Community Connections for Children
Community Connections for Children (CCC) is a nonprofit centered in the heart of Pennsylvania. They serve childcare providers and low-income families ‒ the ones that have been impacted the most by the pandemic.
For you and your business, CCC helps keep childcare options open for your employees ‒ saving missed work hours and lowering on-the-job stress levels. They work with early childhood education programs and home-based providers to improve the quality of care, ensuring that all children enter school ready to be successful.
Christy Renjilian serves as its Executive Director.
To learn more, visit cccforpa.org.