It is early December and my thoughts have already drifted to the New Year as I sit in the sunshine over an early morning coffee. What will I do differently next year?
I am not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions, believing that if you really want to make a change in your life, then why add the pressure of starting on a particular date, tired from the night before and full of knowledge that the last five years’ resolutions didn’t quite work out the way you wanted them to. If people are completely honest with themselves, I am sure the majority would admit that they start the New Year with great hope, but not a lot of optimism that they will be successful in their endeavours. So why put ourselves through it?
Change and dissatisfaction with our lives.
So I challenge you this year to use a few minutes each day in December to really think about who you want to be next year. What is it that you want to achieve and why. You are surely worth a few minutes of your own time. When you are answering these questions ask yourself:
• Why do you want to make this change?
• Who is it to please? If not you, then do you really want this change?
• What will you gain by making this change?
• What will you lose if you don’t?
• What kind of stumbling blocks might you encounter on the way?
• How can you minimize these and overcome them?
Look back over the past few years and really think about what got in the way of achieving your goals. If it is your own self-saboutage, ask a good friend to be a mentor, or get yourself a coach to help you over the minor setbacks. As I mentioned in a previous blog, it can take a long time for a new behaviour to become a habit and there will be stumbles along the way, but that doesn’t make you a failure, it just highlights what kind of events and circumstances that make it hard for your resolution to hold firm.
So what happened to my resolution not to reach for that yummy blueberry muffin at a coffee shop? Well, to be honest with you, having a major surgery that made me unable to sit for any length of time made it impossible for me to relax at coffee shops for quite some time, which was a bonus. I also very consciously looked away from the cakes when I did eventually visit, knowing that temptation is easy to resist without the trigger of seeing the cakes. I do occasionally have something with my coffee, but I make sure I balance it over the course of the day by having a lighter supper. I use a fitness tracker to log what I eat (boy can that be an eye opener!) and make sure that I walk for 30 minutes or more each and every day. I am a goal ticker, so that kind of achievement makes me feel good. Moreover, I know that every day can be a new Day 1, and that a slight stumble is normal.
So what are my resolutions for January? I have my final sign off appointment from the hospital at the end of the month so I am determined to pass that with flying colours so I can indulge in my passion for diving again after 6 months of watching others sink beneath the waves without me. I am fully optimistic of getting there, as it has been my sole focus over the past few months. I will also be able to open up the waiting list and take on a few more clients, but I will also take more time to appreciate everything around me, be mindful of my environment, and savour the positives in life.
