Thriving without New Year’s Resolutions

First of all - Happy New Year!?

I hope that you had some good rest over the holidays and had some precious family and friends time.?

As we start a new year and the inevitable weeks of correcting ourselves to use 2024 as the date, it got me thinking about what I might share.

I have always been a big fan of sitting down at the end of a year, with a notepad to reflect on all that I had done, places visited, goals achieved and what to be proud of.

Then I could look to the future and what I wanted to create in the new year.

This year was the first time in many years I really had no desire to do this.

None at all!?

And it can be a challenge to not be swept up in the hype of social media that we should all be making changes to create our best lives on the back of epic, award-winning highlight reels of 2023.

From what I’ve experienced in my own life, and in that of my coaching clients, this very often leads to an unhealthy place of comparison.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Pirate wink to Teddy Roosevelt for this quote.?

I will always support, encourage and applaud others. And you can do the same.

Yet, we don’t have to follow suit, if we don’t want to.

A Forbes study at the end of 2023 of 1,000 US adults, showed that the top resolutions for 2024 were:

• Improve fitness (48%)
• Improve finances (38%)
• Improve mental health (36%)
• Lose weight (34%)
• Improve diet (32%)

Now if you’re the sort of person that clearly lays out a plan, uses the new year as motivation, and can stick to this diligently then go for it.

For many this isn’t the case.

January 17th is seen as “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day” or the 2nd Friday in January as “Quitter’s Day” or Forbes shows that 51% of people didn’t keep their resolutions beyond 3 months. And Gallup has found that 80% of people have abandoned their resolutions by mid-February no matter if they have small or large goals!

And I am not really surprised.

Consider when everyone is trying to make the big changes in life.

For those in the Northern hemisphere, it is the darkest time of year with shorter days.

There has been all the build up, stress, and military operation of creating end of year holidays - I speak from celebrating Christmas and end of year.

Consuming thousands more calories a week than normal. Grazing constantly through the day. With some inevitable weight gain due to a more sedentary lifestyle.

Increasing spending to create a memorable holiday celebration.

Taking down the Christmas decorations leaving a darker, more sombre (albeit more spacious) home!

Getting back to work having had little structure and routine for a few days or more. And perhaps realising that where you are in work and life isn’t the most fulfilling.?

Package all of that up.

Does that sound like the best place to be when making life-altering decisions, resolutions and goals?

Absolutely not!

So, my simple advice to kick off the new year…put the new year’s resolutions away!

Put them down. Walk away.?

Find the rhythm and routine again of being back at work, the kids returning to school, and rediscovering that less christmassy calorific diet.

Find that balance and relative normality again.

Remove the pressure of huge life changes and improvements.

Do what is best for you.?

If you’re up for some change, then wait for the longer days and spring-like temperatures. Or even the summer.

Now that resolution pressure is no longer there.

How does that feel??

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2024.?