New Year, Still You.
New year’s resolutions may not actually be the most beneficial gift you could give your self this January
Have you been awaiting the new year to make changes to yourself, the “new year, new you” slogan submersed in your thoughts, playing out the end of December in the least irresponsible way possible on the pretence that come January 1st you will jump right on the freight train to new possibilities. Often forgetting everything you have achieved up until this point. It is easy to focus our energy only seeing what we are not doing right, totally disregarding what we have done well. Setting huge goals, ambitions & lifestyle habits that are not realistic often ends in disappointment when they are not achieved in seconds. Falling back into bad habits or cycles of unhelpful traits only lead to the same rhetorical uplift next January, reiterating that the new year is going to be the year for change! New YEAR, NEW ME!
Successful change will require work and may not be evident until later in the year once you have continued to consistently work on the issue. Use what you have learned from the mistakes you will have made through the past years and progress to become a more rounded version of what you are seeking.
Taking the time to reflect on positive things about yourself, things that you have done well, the positive achievements that you have accomplished last year and what has made you feel good. If you struggle to see this in yourself perhaps you could ask a friend, family member or friendly acquaintance to help you, we all have wonderful traits no matter how insignificant they may seem to you. We all have fantastic qualities alongside less helpful ones and just because you may not see yourself as your ‘ideal self‘-right now it does not mean you cannot love yourself as you currently are.
As each year passes, we will have good times and bad. But most importantly we must try to evolve and move forward, continue to become a better version of ourselves. The goal should not be ‘New Year, New You‘. Once the calendar hits January 1st, you will still be YOU. The gift of being you means that you will have your own individual foundation to work from, acknowledge this and build on it.
Three most popular new years resolutions and how to adapt them in positive ways
Get fit: More is not always best, but consistency is. Gyms often see an increase in new members in January by over 80%. People will go all in, buy a gym membership, all the workout gear, a flash water bottle and the latest earphones. Only to realise after a few sessions the cold evenings, busy gyms and lack of instant results cause them to quit altogether. A better approach is to find something that will fit in with your lifestyle. Manageable fitness sessions, take the stairs not the lift, park a little further away from the office to get those extra steps in. Commit to a couple of visits to the gym each week, it does not have to be an everyday burden. Do the small efforts which overtime compound in to results!
Save money: Being realistic in what you can save is paramount. You will more than likely not end up with £100,000 in your piggy bank by February. Give yourself a personal audit, figure out just how much your outgoings are. See if you can get better deals on your Sky TV package, utility company, mobile phone tariff etc. Get your outgoings down where you can and with the money saved, tuck them away in a savings account each month and commit to doing this every month just like you would with your mortgage or rent payment and who knows what will be there this time next year, maybe even enough for a holiday!
Giving up smoking/drinking: What is it that makes you want to quit these vices? The health benefits, the money saved, the personal gratis faction? Be realistic on your approach and figure out exactly why you want to cut these out. If your goal is to quit smoking altogether be prepared for the urges ahead, embark on a new hobby which betters yourself. Start the gym, clean up your diet – give yourself a self-rewarding focus which makes you feel fulfilled. Going ‘cold turkey‘ has been shown to warrant relapses in efforts and you could be likely to return to old habits if you are having a bad day. Emotional or physical response can also lead to a revisit to familiar habits. Most importantly, remember why you wanted to quit in the first place!
