To Fix, or Not to Fix (Yourself)

If you've opened social media in the last week or so, the pressure to set New Year’s resolutions/goals/intentions is gradually being eased by advice along the lines of, "You don't need to fix or change anything this year."

In this pushback against the self-improvement hustle culture, you are encouraged to "accept yourself" and “know that you're perfect just as you are," which, for the record, I fully support.

The assumption behind this sweeping permission slip to maintain the status quo is that if you want to change, you don’t accept yourself. But to know whether that’s true, you have to look at the intention and motivation behind the change.

Change can come from a desire to grow as a human: Learn more, experience more, feel more, live longer, do things that are more meaningful, etc. 
It can also come from a sense of insecurity or inadequacy—a need to prove that you're enough, that you're better than or equal to others, that you fit in, or that you're worthy.

Whether you use goals, intentions, or simply mental notes to guide your development, check in with yourself to make sure they're coming from the right place. It’s tough to hate or berate yourself into a better you past February 1st.

If you have no desire to change anything, make sure it's rooted in deep contentment with your current reality and/or a desire to live in the moment, not a sense of complacency or apathy that you're too afraid to examine.

You do you, but do it for the right reasons.

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