Why You Might Not Need a Resolution This Year
Start where you are.
We’re a few weeks into the new year.
The excitement and anticipation have settled. The routines are returning to normal.
And maybe, just maybe, you’re not feeling the clarity or momentum you thought would come with a fresh start.
If you're sitting in that awkward in-between where you’re aware of what you'd like to feel, but not quite there, you’re not alone.
This season tends to come with pressure dressed up as encouragement. Set goals. Change your life. Map out your transformation. Get it together.
But if you’re already running on low, that pressure can feel more like a demand than an invitation. I wrote about this in a previous blog, Navigating Mental Health During The Holidays. You can read it here.
What if you don’t need a resolution this year? What would happen if you chose to give yourself some quiet breathing room, time to listen to yourself, or permission to do less instead?
Resolutions often come from a lack-based starting point.
Don’t get me wrong, commitment, clarity, and change can be beautiful.
But sometimes resolutions are born from a hidden message, such as:
"You're not enough just as you are."
And that’s a painful place to begin.
When I sit with clients in the first few weeks of January, I don’t hear motivation. I hear:
“I already feel behind.”
“Everyone else seems to know what they’re doing.”
“Why can’t I just get it together?”
It’s okay if you’re feeling tired, scattered, or emotionally flat right now. I encourage you to lean into it and become curious about why these feelings are present for you at this time.
These feelings are calling you to slow down and not sprint into the new year.
What if you didn’t rush to change yourself?
What if this year is less about becoming someone or doing something new and more about becoming more honest with yourself?
Ask:
What do I feel?
What do I need?
And how can I give myself permission to tend to that?
These questions lead us towards growth and acceptance.
The answers might be simple. They might sound like:
“I’m tired.”
“I need more rest.”
“I want to feel less pressure.”
“I’m ready to stop pretending I’m okay.”
That kind of honesty is powerful. And it creates the foundation for sustainable change, not wishful thinking or performative resolutions that burn out by February.
Counseling in Maryland can be a gentle place to begin.
This is often the season when people begin therapy because they recognize feelings of disconnection or emotions stirring beneath the surface.
In my practice, clients who begin counseling in Maryland around this time of year often say things like:
“I just want to feel more grounded.”
“I’m trying to show up for everyone, but I don’t feel connected to myself.”
“I keep setting goals that don’t stick, and I don’t know why.”
If any of that resonates, therapy might be the space you need to slow down, reflect, and move forward in a new and powerful way.
What we explore together in therapy.
We begin right where you are by exploring the feelings that are starting to surface.
Together we’ll hold space for the messiness, exhaustion, uncertainty, and everything In between.
And if there are lingering feelings from the holidays, we’ll take a look at that too.
Together, we might:
Look at what’s draining you
Make space for what’s been patienctly waiting for your attention
Explore what’s been missing from the rhythm of your life
Work through feelings of anxiety
Identify small shifts that support your emotional clarity
Therapy doesn’t have to feel clinical, dogmatic, or overwhelming.
It might just be a place where you’re allowed to pause, hear your own voice again and reconnect with what your heart truly desires.
You can approach the new year at your own pace.
I highly encourage you to move at a pace that works. best for you as you start a new year.
Explore and commit to what feels right for you.
You don’t have to “crush your goals.” or make a grand declaration to change your life if you don’t want to.
Maybe this is the year you:
Take inventory instead of setting resolutions
Protect your energy instead of proving yourself
Get support instead of pushing through
There’s wisdom in finding your way and fully committing to it.
A few reminders if the start of this year feels tougher than you thought it would.
Don’t judge yourself.
Examine the emotions that are surfacing at this time.
The version of you who doesn’t want a resolution is still worthy.
Support isn’t something you earn after falling apart. You can choose it now.
Therapy isn’t just for times of crisis. It can be a place to reconnect with your life.
Let’s start this year with care and intention.
If you’re in Maryland and this season has left you feeling untethered, scattered, or overwhelmed, please know that you’re not the only one.
Counseling in Maryland can offer a space to get grounded again.
It provides space to listen inwardly, understand yourself, and move into the year with honesty and intention.
If that sounds like something you need, I’d be honored to support you.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation here.
Let’s move gently into the new year.
We all deserve that.
With love,
Danielle ❤️
About the Author
Danielle Hatchell is a therapist with over 25 years of experience in providing counseling in Maryland to highly sensitive individuals and anxious high-performing professionals who are navigating the challenge of showing up for others while staying connected to themselves. Danielle’s holistic approach blends traditional talk therapy with spirituality, meditation, and breathwork, offering practical tools and effective strategies to manage anxiety and find balance. Her work honors the whole person and invites clients to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters.
