So how has January been for you? Have many of you set new year resolutions? If so are they still going strong? Have you kept to them or are you now beginning to find them harder to keep up with?? Research says that by the end of January most people have given up on their ambitious ‘new me’ resolutions. I don’t set any resolutions but I do like to think about my year ahead and to think of some positive events I would like to put in my diary – see more of my friends – get a weekend in the diary, get a holiday in the diary so I have something to work hard for!
The new year does make me think about why people need to make resolutions and what sort of goals they set themselves. The ones that work best are those who have an end in sight – so many people join a gym and say they are going to go 2x a week or will start a healthy eating plan but with no finish date. However, the best way to make this work is to actually set shorter term, realistic goals that you can review at the end of a set time period and then move on and progress the goal or set a new one.
Next time you think you need or want to do something more proactive and healthier decide how long you are going to do it to begin with – maybe try it for a month or 6 weeks and see if you have then kept to it by the end of your month/6 weeks and if you have fantastic, reward yourself and then maybe set another 4 or 6 week project to aim to achieve. I bet this will be more effective than a New Year’s Resolution with no ‘end in sight’!!
To finish on a positive note – we are into February now and guess what days are getting longer!! What are you going to take up or give up this month?? Lent starts on February 14th & whether you are religious or not – again it is an opportunity to try to take something up that you enjoy or give something up that has been bugging you for ages and know you need to get rid of!! Try it for 6 weeks till Easter – what have you got to lose 🙂 Start small and avoid being over ambitious and feel deflated for not achieving what you wanted to achieve.
