Just another day!

I’m rebelling. I’m already tired of all the ‘new year fresh start’ rhetoric ... the Facebook memes, the LinkedIn inspirational posts and the twitterers twittering on. The diet ads, the fitness videos and the special offers from all the gyms I’ve ever joined and rarely attended. Dry January. Run Every Day January. Veganuary. Goodness ... the pressure can be a bit overwhelming.

Instead of this being 'Page 1 of a 365 page book', or a time to stop or start things to make me a better person, I’m going to remember that New Year's Day is just another day. The day before it was Sunday (I think!?) so New Years Day was (probably) Monday. That’s all. I am already conscious of things that are achievements for me, and I am very aware of things I should do differently or better ... I just didn’t need a particular date to trigger those thoughts, and whilst the date might inspire some short term action or change, it’s unlikely to last. Typically 80% of us fail at our New Years resolutions before March comes around.

So what’s the alternative? Well, I’m going to shut out all the noise about fresh starts and instead, remember that improvement is a continuous journey. So I'll ...

1. Continue to focus on what I do well, and using my strengths, as I did often last year.
2. Reflect on those strengths often, not once a year, and I'll continue to set new goals for myself on a regular basis - little and often.
3. Keep on taking actions and making choices that mean I am developing myself, educating myself and improving myself as part of my normal routine.

After all, New year is just another day, and the opportunity to reflect, to grow, to change is ours to grab, whatever the date.

Here’s to a Happy and successful New Year !!!