Why I gave up on resolutions

And started working with the moon instead

For years, I started January with big plans and good intentions. Like a lot of people, I’d set resolutions. Get healthier. Be more productive. Sell more books. Fix my sleep. Be more present.

Some years I wrote them in a journal. Other years, I had a fancy planner or a vision board. And every year, I honestly meant it.

But it never really stuck.

By February, I was usually frustrated with myself for already “falling behind.” And then came the guilt spiral: Why can’t I just follow through?

Eventually, I realized it wasn’t that I was lazy or unmotivated. The problem was the way I was approaching change.

Resolutions are big lofty ideas that force you into claiming something you don’t know if you can actually accomplish that year. Worse, they’re a list of ALL THE THINGS, which sounds really great at the time, but when you’re in the weeds of doing them, they become an albatross of guilt and despair.

The moon doesn’t work that way. And neither do I.

The Shift

When I started setting my intentions based on the moon, I noticed a coming back to myself, feeling like I could handle anything. AND, if I failed in a particular month, it was only for that month. I could reset and feel into what had been happening in my life, what was blocking me from getting the thing I thought would happen in the month before (and didn’t). OR, if I was successful in a particular month, to understand why I was successful, and how I could duplicate it for the future. The biggest thing I learned, though, was how to sit with something and understand that maybe I hadn’t done anything wrong, but that the real answer was to be patient, to be present, and to listen.

So I leaned into that rhythm. I started using the new moon as a time to check in with myself and set small, manageable intentions. At the full moon, I’d look back, ask what I needed to let go of, and release what wasn’t serving me, and adjust any intentions that needed to be adjusted.

It wasn’t about perfection. It wasn’t about sticking to a goal for 12 months no matter what. It was about aligning with how I actually felt—and giving myself permission to change, adjust, and begin again every few weeks.

And the wild thing? I started to see real results.

Not because I pushed harder—but because I was finally working with my natural flow instead of forcing myself into someone else’s version of success.

If Resolutions Don’t Work for You, You’re Not Broken

You might just need a different rhythm. One that gives you space to listen, shift, and begin again.

The moon offers us that. Every cycle is a chance to check in:

• What do I want now?

• What needs to change?

• What am I ready to release?

• What’s next?

That’s the kind of support I needed. Maybe it’s what you need, too.

Want to Try It?

I’m hosting a live online full moon gathering on May 12.
We’ll reflect, release, and set intentions together—no pressure, no perfection required.

If you’re tired of resolutions that don’t stick, maybe it’s time to try something more intuitive.

I’d love to have you there.

Register here for this free online event: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Bed-59ZEQYSNVbUFDYD2nw