Turnin
g the page on 2024 many of us are already thinking about the year ahead and how it’s going to be different! How we are going to leave the baggage of yesteryear behind, and the New Year will be full of new opportunities and changes.
Of course, the traditional way to mark those changes is with the New Year’s Resolutions. Maybe we even write down how we are going to change, the things we are going to do. How ‘this year’ things are going to be different!
Even those of us who are too jaded, or feel too run down to make such grand plans for the future, find a little bit of allure in the promise that we can change just like that. From one day to the next we can suddenly become a slightly wiser, or sexier or more successful person.
If it were that easy though, surely every year the entire planet would become a better place? Everyone would become slimmer, more caring and wealthier. They would read more books too. But this isn’t happening. So what is going on? Surely all these dreams and wishes aren’t just being thrown out straight away?
The reality is that we find it very difficult to normally change habits whether they are good or bad. Gyms and fitness centres rely on that. They love January as people sign up for long term memberships but never follow though. Very few gyms could cope with their members if they all came every week. Try for something you can actually get excited for.
Here is my suggestion for you. Make any resolutions that you may come up with something that genuinely speaks to you. Something you can picture yourself doing with a smile on your face. Something that you can set aside the time and money to do. Ideally something that replaces some part of your life that you are unhappy with rather than just a new obligation on top of everything else that you are already doing.
I saw a guy trying out a new kite-surfing kit on Boxing Day last year in Wellington. It was no doubt a Christmas Present. You could see the pleasure on his face as he tried to figure out what he was doing and set off on what looked like a one way trip across the harbour. I’m pretty sure that if I went back next week-end he would be out there again. It’s a new activity for him but it’s obviously attainable and fun for him giving him something new to do on Sunday afternoons. That’s an example of something that might make a good resolution.
If you want to make eating healthy your New Year’s resolution, then I suggest changing it because that is not particularly fun or easy which means you wouldn’t still be doing it in 6 months time. A variation that might be more fun is “I want to be a better cook, I have nothing on in the evening three times a week so I’m going to explore new ingredients and recipes then.” Maybe start using one of the food box companies as they provide instructions and ingredients that maybe you could imagine getting excited about. If your goals are to be more successful, instead make your resolution “I’m going to update my CV and put it out there to another organisation once a week and see what bites!”
Don’t allow yourself to settle for the same resolution that you made last year that didn’t work then either. Go for something that gives you the tingles but won’t just stack extra obligations on or drain your energy. As always though, if you would like a little help working up that motivation, well… I’m still here.
