New Beginnings in the New Year

January is traditionally a time of renewal and re-balancing, often spurred on by the decision to lose weight after overindulging at Christmas, but not always.  When one year closes and another one begins, it’s impossible not to be drawn in by the promise of starting anew and leaving any problems from the previous year behind. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who has a childlike sense of enjoyment when writing the new year date for the first time – especially when you are still getting used to it and have to correct yourself. It’s not 2012 anymore!

I don’t really believe in making overt “New Year’s Resolutions” though, because I feel like they are normally used to set too-rigid rules for yourself, which are unnatural and bound to make you feel bad if you don’t succeed. The temptation is to pick a goal which is too difficult and then if you don’t meet the standard you’ve set it could add to the depression that is rife at this time of year. The weather is freezing and dull, you have to return to work after relaxing at Christmas, it seems ages to pay day and the daylight is short.

Far better than choosing a big goal, which requires a lot of sacrifice at a time of year when it would be better to be easy on yourself, is to look at small areas where you can improve and work on those instead. Achieving smaller goals which you can build on later in the year is much better for your self confidence. Here are my suggestions for the most popular New Year’s Resolutions.

Quit Smoking

This is a goal for many people, but if you are stressed at the return to work, money worries or just the winter blues in general, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Aim to cut down and reduce the amount that you smoke to nothing by the end of the year! Cold turkey is only good on sandwiches. There are new electronic ciggerates available for people, which remove many of the harmful chemicals whilst keeping the nicotine and the feel of a ciggerate – you could try cutting down to these before anything else.

Lose Weight

When we have just left a season where it’s normal to have more than one mince pie a day and dinner comes with a minimum of four side dishes and two sauces, it’s a bit extreme to start only eating salad leaves in January. Switch the sweets for fruit, snack on vegetables and generally be healthy, but don’t suddenly cut the calories, or you’ll be more likely to quit your diet early!

Try New Things

I love to try all kinds of new things, but when energy is naturally low in the winter months, you might want to resist the temptation to sign up to every new class that takes your attention. Think about what you have been planning to do longest and pursue that one interest – taking a new exercise class or learning a new language for instance. Devoting your time to one new area means you are more likely to have a new talent to talk about this time next year!

Well, I hope my thoughts on New Year’s resolutions don’t come across as lazy! But be kind to yourself and make sure that you take some time to enjoy this fresh start, whatever you do.

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