Do You Throw the Baby Out?

Have you ever heard the expression, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”? It means you shouldn’t throw out the good while getting rid of the bad. And whenever I see an internet meme that complains about how long January felt, I think of those wise words.

People are already jumping to cancel 2020, but that’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater! Are we just going to let the rest of 2020 go to waste simply due to a rough start?!

If you’re finding those memes relatable and already want to give up on 2020, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Are You a Perfectionist?

It feels good to get things right, but getting it right all the time is impossible. Being perfect is an unrealistic expectation, and one that many people hang their hat on.

For the true perfectionist, anything less than perfect causes significant anxiety and stress. So, if January didn’t go your way, you might have the instinct to give up for the rest of the year. But remember, each day is a new chance to strive for your best. Imagine if everything ended right now and you didn’t get the chance to make today count. As a perfectionist, that idea is (hopefully) worse than trying and not reaching perfection.

2. Do You Have Concrete Thinking?

Concrete thinking is thinking strictly in black and white, where you imagine everything is all or nothing. Much like perfectionism, if you feel as though you haven’t given your all, you might decide to give nothing because of the previous waste of time.

With concrete thinking, you feel as though time is finite. And when it feels wasted, it’s challenging to see other options. But they definitely exist! Instead of throwing in the towel, pull out the telescope and see what else you can discover.

3. Are You a Control Freak?

When things don’t go our way, we can feel like we’re spinning out of control. If January presented many twists and turns, you may feel helpless, like you haven’t contributed anything. And the feeling of helplessness can lead to giving up completely, which starts a very vicious cycle. Work every day to “go with the flow” and appreciate all the good that will naturally come your way.

4. Do You Have a Healthy Relationship with Time?

If you want to change the way you go about the rest of 2020, then you need to alter your relationship with time. Remember that every moment presents a new chance to make the best of a situation.

Let’s say that one day you have your car broken into – but on that same day, you get the news that you received a promotion at work. Are you going to waste the joy of the good news by wallowing about the negative thing that happened to you? Odds are, when you look back on that day, you will most likely recall the success and not the inconvenience.

If you look at 2020 as one big chunk, then none of it is going to be perfect. But resist the urge to just put it all behind you. Instead, strive to live in each minute – and see what each moment has to offer. I bet you’ll find more things to celebrate than throw away!

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