Happy New Year! I’ve always thought that January is a tricky
time for setting new intentions. Dark, cold mornings and shorter days plus the
inevitable ‘back to work’ blues at the end of the festive season aren’t really
conducive to healthy eating and exercise. I don’t know about you, but at this
time of year all I really feel like is curling up under a duvet and eating
comfort food!
Perhaps it’s not surprising that 80 per cent of New Year’s
Resolutions fail by February. In fact, according to one university study, a
tiny 8 per cent of us actually succeed in following through on our New Year
goals.
Psychologists suggest a few simple tricks can help. In
short:
·
Keep it realistic
– Rome wasn’t built in a day. A long list of goals, career and lifestyle
changes might look great as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, but
in the cold light of day it will just leave you feeling defeated and
overwhelmed.
·
Make it
specific – the more specific your intention, the more likely you are to
follow it. For instance, a commitment to ‘exercise more’ is easy to wriggle out
of. Saying ‘I will go to the gym every Monday from 10am til 11am’ is much more
likely to bring results.
·
Keep it
visible – once you’ve set your specific goal, keep it in front of you so
you can check on your progress. This can be as simple as drawing up a ‘to-do
list’ with goals you can tick off over time, or you can get creative with
journaling or vision boards. Or pin up some motivational phrases around your
desk. Anything to act as a reminder of your intention.
·
Make it
positive – it sounds obvious, but the more you want to do something, the more likely it is you’ll do it! Even if
your resolution involves giving something up, see if you can look at it from a
more positive point of view. For instance, instead of ‘I will give up
chocolate’, how about ‘I will eat yummy healthy food’. Same intention,
different slant!
With all these things in mind, here’s my own list of
personal and professional goals for the year ahead…
I will go to bed
early and get up early
Developing and maintaining healthy sleeping patterns is my
most important resolution of all. As a freelance writer and editor who works
from home, it’s easy to get into bad habits, since so long as I get my work
done by the deadline, it doesn’t really matter what hours I keep. But
consistently going to bed late and getting up late is bad for my body and brain,
and leads to working anti-social hours, such as evenings and weekends. I’m much
better when my brain is fully wired on a good night’s sleep.
I will stop being my
own worst critic
There. I said it. I’ve realised that, creatively and even
personally, the thing that stops me achieving everything I am capable of is a
crippling fear that it won’t be good enough. However, very few things in life
are perfect. It is better to create imperfect things that to be trapped into a
cycle of over-perfectionism.
I will finish the
projects I start
When it comes to creative or domestic projects I’m a bit
like a butterfly, flitting around the exciting flower to flower but never
settling on any one thing in particular. Partly this is due to fear of failure
(see above) and also, as a working mum everything I do has to be fitted into
tiny pockets of time. However, this year I am determined to finish at least one
thing I start, and hopefully several, starting with the book of children’s
stories I am currently writing.
I will value my time
Time is precious, especially as a working mum with a
daughter who is growing up far too quickly! I’ve never been a very organised
person, but I need to be, if I am to fit in everything that needs to be done as
well as the things I want to do. So less time surfing Facebook and watching cat
videos, less time shopping, and more focus. This includes giving myself
permission to say ‘no’ to social activities or other commitments.
I will declutter
This has been my resolution for the past few years – to declutter
from every area of my life, both materially, mentally and spiritually. I’ve
learned that decluttering is a holistic process. Clearing out excess baggage is
only effective when coupled with a commitment not to repeat past mistakes. My
aim, ultimately, is to create a simpler, more sustainable way of living, which
feels more authentic. Watch this space!
So that’s my resolutions – what are yours? Let me know in
the comments below! Wishing you a blessed, peaceful and prosperous 2019.
