A New Year's resolution you can stick to

After the indulgence of Christmas, soon follow that tinge of guilt about enjoying yourself, and then it’s time for the New Year’s resolutions.

It’s a shame that as a society we generally feel a need to ‘make up’ for taking a break. So I’d like to encourage you to take a healthy approach to your resolutions this year and not let them become ways to punish yourself for taking a week or two to rest and recharge, even if you did eat a lot of goodies and didn’t get any exercise.

It’s all OK!

We are absolutely all entitled to take a break; from work, and from our personal goals too. If you have big plans for 2019 then that’s wonderful, and I’m in your corner cheering. I just want to remind you of the importance of self-care, and keeping the balance in your life.

A resolution you can stick to

There is a fairly common trend for setting the bar really high in January and making those goals too hard to reach. As a result, we may either push ourselves too hard, making it feel more like punishment than personal growth. Or we may become overwhelmed with the task at hand and lose our motivation. This, of course, leads to more guilt, which isn’t good for us.

So instead, how about setting gentler, more achievable micro-goals that see you on your way to that bigger goal? Chunking things down into steps really reduces overwhelm and lets you catch your breath and acknowledge your progress.

I really encourage acknowledging your progress – enjoying success is just as important as the hard work you put in, in my opinion. That feeling of accomplishment is a huge energiser and great confidence booster too.

An alternative resolution

Maybe you aren’t sure what your goals are for 2019, or you are feeling uninspired by the idea of working on something new.

So how about an alternative to the classic resolution? How about setting an agenda for 2019 to have more fun, enjoy life more and take good care of yourself?

If you need more inspiration, then here’s a little idea.

How about picking up a nice new notebook in the January sales, heading off to a coffee shop you like and begin a journal for yourself. There is something that many people find enjoyable about new stationery, and that sense of excitement that comes from writing down new plans. Or this notebook could become your new gratitude journal – a place to jot down positive thoughts and work on your mindset.

At the end of the day, not all traditions are worth keeping alive forever. If you have set yourself harsh New Year’s resolutions in the past and they haven’t helped you to grow, then it’s okay to let go of that ritual.

A gentler, more sustainable approach to self-improvement, using micro-goals and celebrating along the way is much more inspiring.

And please remember that there is no rule that says you have to set any new goals at all. 

Just make yourself happy and have a fabulous year.