New years resolution?

First message to you all is a belated HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Celebrations all round for the new chapter in our lives!

So its in our human nature to constantly try to change who we are and to better ourselves. One of the mainstream ways in which we do this is through New Years Resolutions. I'm no stranger to thinking of all of these 'fabulous' changes that I am going to make in my life which will "make me happy". The problem with these goals is that they are often too direct and before February is out, we have more than likely given up on whatever we were striving for. It paints a pretty sad picture but its very true. We expect too much of ourselves over a short period of time and when we don't comply straight away then we deem ourselves as failures. One of my resolutions for last year was to blog several times a month, create a youtube channel and basically to become a success within my dream job....how unrealistic is that?!

While I would have loved for any one of those things to have come true, I gave myself too large of a specific goal and quickly became disheartened when I didn't receive 100 page views a day (or whatever it was).  After a lot of research, I have come across ways in which we will be more likely to keep this years goals alive for more than a month or two.

• Don't try to do more than one thing at once- change happens slowly and too much at once is just going to cause unnecessary stress 
• Integrate it into your existing routine. For instance, if exercising for half an hour every day is one of your goals then why not split your exercise into smaller segments and integrating it into things that you have to do every day without fail. One thing I like to do is calf raises, wall sits and lunges whilst I brush my teeth (I will admit that due to my physical health I am not always able to do this so be sure to consult a professional before trying any exercise routine if you have physical ailments). Another option could be dancing round the house whilst you're cleaning or eve trying some bedtime yoga to help you wind down before bed. These are all small things that you can integrate into your life and it will encourage you to keep up this improved you without being too scary or strenuous. 

disclaimer: all images used are taken from Google images

• Dont make the goal too large- something too large is often daunting to try and reach. I have found it easier to create smaller goals which once completed would in fact have got you to the same point as the larger goal but without as much stress. 

• Don't beat yourself up if it all doesn't go to plan- one of my goals was linked to being more happy within myself but I automatically began to beat myself up when I wasn't reaching my target. This was the complete opposite of what I wanted to. If something doesn't work out right the first time then persevere with it. If the way you're doing it isn't working for you then adapt it to suit your needs, there is more than one way in which you can achieve your goals, don't be disheartened by obstacles. 

Remember: often our goals can become no longer relevant to our life and this in no way makes you a failure. We change with all of the things that we experience so its normal for our goals to change throughout the year as we change.

Good luck with your goals!

Much love,

-Louise x