Every year, once the guilt of eating so much at Christmas and reflections about the past year set in, people vow that the next year will be different. That they will be different. Come the 1st January, hoards of people pledge that they will lose weight, eat healthier, spend less… the list goes on.
No really, the list does go on! According to a recent survey, the top ten most popular New Years resolutions for 2014 are:
1. Save more money
2. Get out of debt
3. Get fit/lose weight
4. Change job/career
5. Quit smoking
6. Give up alcohol
7. Spend less time working
8. Spend more time with family/friends
9. Give up chocolate
10. Move house
All seem like fairly reasonable resolutions. Saving money, drinking less and exercising more are all sensible ideas contributing to a better lifestyle. But are they really as easy to keep as they first appear?
Picture mid-January…cupboards full of 13p tins of beans while the shoes you really wanted stay unbought in the store, a gym bag waiting by the door reminding you need to drag yourself onto the treadmill, cravings for nicotine and a dairy milk bar at an almost excruciating level…
This is where the most important resolution you can make comes in. Surprisingly, it’s not even on the list!
BE POSITIVE.
Thinking positively about what you have achieved and what you want to achieve make life so much easier, as well as making the aforementioned resolutions seem much less daunting. Want to lose weight? Make sure it’s for the right reasons. Make sure it’s because YOU want to, and if you’re sure – think positive. You might be craving sweets and chocolate, but think about how proud you’ll be of yourself for running 5 miles or making new, healthier recipes. Want a new job? Instead of sulking at your desk, put yourself out there and accept it as a challenge. Work at it but in the meantime feel grateful that you have a job while so many others are searching. Want to save more money? Don’t ‘treat yourself’ every time you see something you want – picture the holiday or new flat you could be enjoying once you’ve made a few sacrifices.
You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve if you believe you can achieve it. That’s why my New Years Resolution this year is to be a more positive person; to believe that I can accomplish whatever put my heart and mind to, and to allow myself to be proud of even small triumphs. If you feel great about yourself for not having a cigarette, for not buying that dress or for not skipping the gym today, imagine how amazing you’re going to feel when you can proudly say “Yes, I did give up smoking. Yes, I did buy a beautiful new house. Yes, I did drop two dress sizes. And I feel so good for it.”
Positivity breeds positivity, so good luck for 2014, and remember – in believing you can do it, you’re already halfway there!