New years resolutions that will change your life

Every January it’s time to make your new years resolutions. The 1st of January is the ultimate Monday, the year lies ahead and you have the opportunity to grasp it. In 365 days time you could be the person you want to be if you follow your new years resolutions. How can you be sure you’ll nail your resolutions for next year?

The biggest mistakes that we make:

1. Too much too soon. Want to lose weight? Ok, less calories, more exercise, gym 6 days a week, yoga on the 7th day. Repeat for 365 days and by new Years Eve you’ll be stunning. Or, severely malnourished and injured.

2. All or nothing attitude. Following on from point one, seeing any deviation from the plan as a failure. As Adam Savage from Mythbusters says “Failure is always an option” and because we are human it is inevitable. Does this mean we give up? Of course not. We become resilient and with each ‘failure’ we learn. Fall down 7 times, get up 8.

3. Not having a specific goal. “Lose weight” is not a goal. It’s your starting point. How much weight? When will you lose this weight by? What will you do to lose it? Why do you want to lose it? If you’re not asking yourself these questions you’re not getting to the root of the resolution.

4. Unrealistic goals. From wanting to lose 10lbs in 10 days to aiming to be a size 8, if those goals are unrealistic for you, you’re fighting a losing battle trying to force yourself into a box that is not for you.

For example, I have big hips, always have, always will. I’ll probably never be a size 8 in my lower body, so I’m choosing to rock the booty that I have and move on. It can be hard to accept that some goals may be out of your reach for no other reason than the size of your skeleton but trying to achieve a look that is not for you will not lead to happiness.

So, what is the answer?

Instead of focusing on the old resolutions that we make each year, perhaps choose one of the following and see if your year becomes more positive as a result:

1. Next year I am going to de-clutter. Do you own books you don’t read, DVDs you don’t watch, clothes you don’t wear? Just get rid. If you can afford to, take it all to a charity shop and give back a little too. Extra room in the house and extra points in the karma bank.

2. Next Year I am going to give back to the community. Is there a local charity that you could volunteer at or donate to? Food banks for example are always looking for food donations to help support people in your area. Go to the local pound shop, buy up some tea, coffee, biscuits and take it to your local food bank. It might only cost you £5 and you will be helping someone in need.

3. Next year I am going to focus on being healthy. It seems that everyone focuses on weight loss in January, gym membership sky rockets and everyone is committed to making the change. Instead of focusing on the pounds, or the inches, shift your focus to improving your performance. Can you lift heavier weights by February? Do more reps in your high intensity class? Put your gears up higher in spinning? All of these are signs of improvement. When your fitness improves, your positivity does to.

4. Next year I am going to learn one new recipe per month. Whether you love to cook, or tolerate it in order to have something healthy, improving your skills in the kitchen is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Not to mention eating your own home cooked food is a reward in itself. It doesn’t need to be extravagant or complicated. Even challenging yourself to learning how to make a delicious healthy pasta sauce is a start.

5. Next year I am going to make small goals each month. We never know where the year will take us at the start of January. Sometimes making small goals throughout the year is the way to go. Especially if your initial list has more than 3 items on it. Instead of making a huge list on January 1st and feeling overwhelmed, commit to starting each month with a small goal that you can easily achieve. Whether that is trying a new fitness class, joining a social group to make new friends, spending more time with family, learning to meditate, whatever it is that you want to do, spread it out throughout the year.

6. Next year I am going to adhere to the 5 minute rule. Sadly I cannot reference this method as I do not know the original reference, but it is not my own. I heard about this not too long ago, and it is a brilliant strategy for minimising negativity and promoting productivity. The idea is that when something comes along that stresses you out or annoys you, take 5 minutes to complain about it. A whole five minutes and rant, rave, swear, be passionate. When the 5 minutes is up focus your mind, realise that either A) there is nothing you can do or B) you have several choices open to you and you must logically and calmly pick one. Easier said than done at the beginning, but stick with it. This one definitely helps.

7.Next year I am going to take myself out of my comfort zone. We tend to stick to activities that we know and enjoy but perhaps there is something that you’ve always wanted to try but never dared? Whether that’s pole dancing, learning to swim or trying a new fitness class, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to do, be brave and do it!

Whatever your resolutions happen to be, write them down and commit to taking the steps to succeeding. New Year is the ultimate Monday, go get ’em.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Ainzlie  xx