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07 December 2015

5 Phrases I'm Giving Up for 2016

2015 has almost left the building. 2016 will soon enough be here.
Some folks are probably beginning to think what their word will be for 2016 (I know I am! -if that's your thing) or starting to think about goals for 2016.

Over the last few year's I have begun to really enjoy New Year's: the goal planning, dreaming, and doing. New Year's has become more about doing instead of just dreaming I'd be 15 pounds thinner without any effort on my part.

This coming year is going to be beautiful and scary. Realizing the power of of the words I say to myself, I want to let go and drop the phrases that have held me back the past year as I head into 2016. I am giving them up so I can take on 2016.


1. I can't.
Over the past year there were several things I told myself "I can't." Every time I say "I can't" it robs me of the power deep inside to change. It is that place inside us that brings out amazing drive, courage, and energy to chase after what matters most and fills us up.
I refuse to continue to whisper the lies of "I can't" in 2016, when deep down I always know that I CAN.

2. It will always be this way.
When things are tough, it is SO easy to think things "will always be this way." And then I realized the only way things will stay the same, is if I do nothing to change myself and/or a situation. Things won't and don't have to "always be this way." Looking back on the times I have said this, I think it robs me of the power I have inside of myself to thrive through the tough stuff of life. 
It won't always be this way. But it will stay the same if I do nothing on my part. 

3. I'm sorry.
I tend to over-apologize. Like a lot. Honestly, sometimes I don't even know I'm saying it until after it has been said. Yes there is a definite time and place for heartfelt apologies. But if I am apologizing every time I need a hand or am asking for a favor, it is mis-guided and unnecessary.
In 2016, I want to save my "I'm sorry's" for when I actually do something wrong.

4. I'll do it later.
When I start putting things off, chances are very high it won't get done or I'll just push it off and fill my time with something more mindless. Things like daily prayer or exercise are the types of things if I say "I'll just do it later," very often that never even happens.

The present moment in front of me is the best time to get done what really matters. Let's be honest, Netflix and Instagram will still be there when I am done. ;)

5. It has to be perfect
This one is not helped by the picture perfect life of Pinterest. I know I can treat my life, other people, and myself like it all has to be perfect. When I wake up from that fantasy, I see that life is never ever perfect. Sometimes it can be a hot mess; throw in relationships with other people and it's a hot mess X2. 

Life isn't meant to be perfect; it's meant to be lived and cherished even though the messy imperfections. I want to strive better to embrace and even love the imperfections in myself, life, and other people. 


What phrase do you want to give up this year? How do you think it has held you back from becoming the best version of yourself?


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3 comments:

  1. Great list! Guilty of over-using a few of these!

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  2. This is such a great idea, I hadn't thought of doing this kind of exercise before!! I really love this list, especially "it will always be this way." Definitely in the beginning of marriage, I thought this a lot, whether it related to not getting to have a date night when we planned it or not spending the holidays where I wanted to. Like you said, it robs us of the power to change things, and it also can cause us to lose perspective! With every tiny instance in my 2 1/2 years of married life where I've thought "It will always be this way," it NEVER has stayed that way, and in the grand scheme of things, those little moments don't really make that big of a difference!

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  3. Love, love, love this! You've inspired me! I need to make my own list.

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