How are your New Year’s resolutions going?
We’re not even 10 days into 2025 yet, but by this point I know a lot of people are already struggling to the lofty resolutions they set themselves.
The problem is that we’re often setting these resolutions after a couple of weeks of disrupted routine, spent eating and drinking too much and generally lounging about.
Don’t get me wrong; I love a good lounge about!
But often by the time new year rolls around, we’re all looking forward to getting back into a routine.
Advertisers have started preying on our insecurities.
Despite having barely moved for weeks, suddenly we want to run a marathon.
We’ve lived off chocolate and trifle for a while, but now we’re planning to stick to a calorie-controlled diet of steak and kale
Perhaps we’ve even smoked like a chimney over the festive period, and now we’re going to quit overnight.
It’s good to have goals and aspirations – and lots of people argue that we should set ourselves big goals so as to keep ourselves motivated.
But what’s really demotivating is when we last a few days on our new regime, and then crash and burn.
Here’s an idea.
Instead of setting bonkers resolutions you’ve little hope of sticking with past February,
why not just not set any resolutions?
I don’t mean we shouldn’t set goals or have ideas for how we want to improve our lives.
But maybe it’s better to just do it quietly, without a big fanfare and a massive change.
In fact, these days lots of experts say the best way to start a new habit is to start really small.
Instead of setting the goal to run a marathon, set the goal to put on our running shoes and walk around the block.
Then jog around the block. Then a little further… A little further…
But the initial step, that first goal, is the smallest it can possibly be.
Instead of a strict, diet involving lots of kale, switch that to eating one more fruit or vegetable than normal each day.
Then a little less chocolate. Small changes over time.
Our brains like to wait for a new beginning when making a change – but that doesn’t have to be January 1st.
It can be the start of any new month, week or even day.
So if you’re struggling with a resolution you made at the beginning of the year, why not re-evaluate and change what you’re aiming to do?
In fact, even better – just abandon resolutions, and instead just look to make a small change in the right direction wherever you can.
You can do that right now; you don’t need to wait for a new beginning!