New Years Resolutions

Achievable Resolutions

Not a ‘New Year New Me’, more of a ‘Me with some improvements’, set of resolutions. I know that if I set myself a goal which is too far away from my current lifestyle, I’ll be setting myself up for failure and disappointment. So I’ve got a couple of resolutions which, hopefully, are quite achievable; and might even inspire a couple of other people as well, hence why I’m sharing them here.

The power of Habit

Habit is a very powerful tool that people don’t take advantage of often enough. When we repeat behaviours over and over, we form neuronal connections that make it easier for us to go back to that behaviour. At first something is a conscious effort, but eventually it becomes unconscious and we do it naturally.

My new years resolutions are to develop little behaviours and repeat small affirmations to myself daily in order to keep improving who I am.

Small Talk

One thing I really want to try and do more is small talk. I often look for meaningful interactions and deeper conversations and get a little bored of preliminary questions and shallow chit-chat; however I’m starting to appreciate the value of that little bit of extra effort to start a conversation and get to know people a little better. I’m great at listening and I’m always interested in what people have to say, but I’m not very good at initiating a conversation and pushing through the uncomfortable first 5 minutes. But practice makes perfect!

Affirmations

I feel like affirmations are so powerful yet undervalued. I want to set myself a mini personal goal per month, come up with an affirmation to support this, stick it up on my wall and repeat it to myself every single day in the mirror. It sounds silly but it really works! When you tell yourself something over and over again it sticks in your mind, and when you’re faced with a situation that you could potentially handle badly, the affirmation which you’ve glued into your subconscious will pop into your head and remind you to choose the enlightened decision.

My January affirmation is: “As I forgive myself, it becomes easier to forgive others. I move beyond forgiveness to understanding and I have compassion and kindness for all.“

I set really high standards for myself which isn’t very productive as I’m often left feeling bad about what I’ve accomplished because I always feel like I could do/be/have more. Also I feel like I sometimes reflect my standards for myself on to other people, expecting them to also strive for the same things. So my affirmation is designed to help me let go of constantly needing perfection in my life, and just to live and let live a little more.

Good luck in 2017 🙂