Did you start the year with a list of resolutions? Have you started ticking off your list or is it already becoming a nuisance?
In the excitement of a new year, we often draft a list of changes that puts expectations onto ourselves that we’ll never really be able to fulfill and which becomes a burden as the year goes on. Rather than something that helps us find the good in ourselves, our list of New Year’s resolutions just gives us a headache and a reason to feel bad.
By getting a few of the basics in place, you’ll find satisfaction and possibly the motivation to take on one of the trickier changes you want to make.
For a start, try adding one new action per week from the list below for the next four weeks.
- Week 1: Organise your space – work and home
- Week 2: Get your food right. Simple, fresh food makes you feel great without too much effort – just add one fresh item per meal.
- Week 3: Move often. You don’t have to book into the gym, or plan on running a marathon sometime this year. Every hour or two, get up and talk to a colleague; use the stairs instead of the lift; walk to the corner store instead of driving.
- Week 4: Live a meaningful life. Doing one small thing for another person each day gives your life meaning and will actually make you happier than chasing your ‘dream’ or doing something for yourself because you ‘deserve it’.
By making simple, easy changes, you will have achieved much more than trying to stick to the same old list of resolutions that you break every other year. Give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.