New year’s resolutions can be tricky. At the start of a fresh new year that’s filled promise, hopes and expectations we set ourselves these goals to make life better. To improve, to do more. It makes sense, unless you’re making progress and improving then you’re stuck in the same place. The trouble is, we can set goals that are far too specific or unrealistic, and can be disappointed in ourselves when they fail.
Live a More Healthy Lifestyle
This isn’t setting a goal saying ‘I want to be skinny for summer’ or ‘I want to weigh X amount’ or ‘I want to wear X dress size.’ It’s making an effort to generally live a healthier lifestyle. You could set mini goals here such as eating your five portions of fruit and veg a day, exercising three times a week or going to bed an hour earlier. But make sure they’re realistic and be flexible, that way if things don’t go exactly to plan you’re less likely to feel like you’ve failed and give up. Focus on diet, exercise, sleep, your mental health and general wellbeing. You could join a Zumba or yoga class, you could join a slimming club for recipes and motivation. 5:2 diets are effective as you restrict calories on five days on the week and can eat more on the other two, it gives you more balance and makes you feel less restricted. There are lots of different companies that have variations of this, Shake That Weight version of the 5:2 diet is just one example. You could try different apps or fitness trackers that log your steps, activity, calorie intake, water intake and more to keep tabs on what you do currently so you can see how you can improve.
Boost Your Confidence
Living a healthier lifestyle and feeling more confident go hand in hand. But there are other things you can do too. Go to the hairdresser and have a new cut and colour. Treat your skin at a spa or buy some new products. Try out some new makeup items and follow tutorials on Youtube. Purchase some new clothing items that flatter your figure and make you feel good. We all lead such busy lifestyles, it’s easy to put yourself to the bottom of the priority list. Take some time out for you, invest in things that will make you feel good about yourself. You are worth it.
Socialise More
Again it comes back to leading busy lives, but socialising can often take a back seat. Meeting a friend for coffee or lunch, getting everyone round for a dinner party or barbeque might just seem like a luxury but spending time with the people we care about is essential. It helps you to keep close bonds and maintain a support system around you. When things go wrong in life (which they will from time to time) having a friend to support you and a shoulder to cry on can make everything much easier to cope with. Often they can provide you with a different viewpoint or perspective which can be really useful when you have tunnel vision on your problems. Aim to meet up when you can, if that’s not possible at least pick up the phone. Let the ones who matter in your life know that you love and care about them.
Get Your Money Under Control
Whether you earn a little bit of money or a lot, knowing exactly what to do with your income is important. If you’re currently in debt, speak to a debt management company or charity who will help you get the interest frozen and reduce your repayments to a manageable amount. If you keep missing payments and falling behind, check out some of the budgeting apps and computer software out there. This helps you to plan your budget, remind you when to pay and works out exactly how much you’ve paid and got left to pay in the month. At the very least, get a calendar or notepad and write down the dates and amounts that need to be paid so you’re not missing anything. If money is tight each month, work on ways to reduce your spending. It could mean using a price comparison site to make sure you’re getting the best prices on your utilities. It could mean switching big brands on your grocery shop to less expensive brands, and coming up with a meal plan each week so you’re not making unnecessary purchases.
See More of The World
Travel expands your mind, allows you to learn about new cultures, meet new people and it’s fun too! Travel is never a waste of time, if you’re able to make it happen then it’s something that’s definitely worth doing. If you don’t have much money, backpacking or going on a road trip doesn’t cost much and allows you to see part of the world. Even a family vacation means you’re exploring a new place and seeing a new part of the globe. Studies have found one of people’s biggest regrets in life are not travelling more, so don’t let this be one of yours when you’re old and grey. You don’t have to stay in five star hotels or dine in luxury restaurants. You can go camping, stay in motels, eat from cafes, grocery stores and street food from markets. Make it work, get out there and make 2018 your year of travel! You could aim to visit one place a month, even if it’s just driving to another location in the city or country where you live.
People complain about new year’s resolutions, saying that you don’t need a new year to make a change. And this is true (every day is a fresh start after all!) there’s nothing quite like the promise of a new year to help you shift into action. Use this motivation and make the year ahead your best yet.
Have you jotted down any ideas for your new year’s resolutions yet?
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