Have you made any New Years resolutions this year?
Let's talk about that for a second.
I hate New Year's Resolutions.
Let me explain…What I AM against, though, is the whole mindset surrounding the "New Years Resolution". It starts in December; you throw everything out the window because you know January is around the corner and that's when you'll start making changes.
Then January 1st arrives and it often turns into extreme behaviors for the first few weeks of the year; you're motivated, you're inspired and you're ready to make changes so you go all in and go really hard. The problem is that that's no way to live; a life of extremes - where you're either all IN or all OUT - can not be maintained long term.
Nor should it be.
Focus on the entire year of 2017. Write down how you want your life to look next year at this exact time. Then write down some meaningful, tangible goals that are going to help you get there.
Don't set yourself up for failure. Set yourself up for success.
You need to realize and acknowledge the fact that it's not about a quick fix - it's about creating new habits to create lasting changes. It's about making the choice that you DO want change - but do you want change that is going to last for a few weeks?
Or do you really want to change your LIFE?
We also don't need all of the added pressure that those resolutions add to our lives. January is already a really difficult time for people. It's cold, it always seems dark, the holidays are over, our bank accounts are hurting, maybe we feel a tiny bit of guilt about overindulging over the holidays. The winter blues can be really hard.
Make sure that you are seeking out ways to stay active this winter. Get out into your community and take advantage of the things it has to offer. Try something new that you don't normally do. Try a new class at the gym, sign up for cooking lessons, go ice skating, start a fun art project at home. The point is to keep yourself busy doing something that you enjoy.
Try and focus in on eating healthy this month as well. If you're anything like me, your body is definitely craving wholesome, nutritious fuel after the holidays. And what you fuel your body with plays such a huge role on your happiness and mental health; when you eat like crap, you feel like crap. You become sluggish and tired and unmotivated and it gets really easy to fall into that trap of not wanting to do anything. Make sure that you're drinking lots of water and eating throughout the day.
Want to hear more personal development and weekly tips on living your best life ever? My most recent podcast episode on Change by Choice touches upon the realization of resolutions not working and how we can make lasting, lifelong improvements
You can listen to the most recent episode and all of the episodes here: (on iTunes and Podcast Addict).
More tip to set you up for 2017 next week.
xo~Charlotte