5 Habits to Take into the New Year
At the start of a New Year it’s really tempting to get caught up in writing resolutions, goal setting or even designing your vision board, and everywhere you look on social you’ll see people doing the same so it can be hard to escape.
But according to a study conducted by the University of Scranton only 8% of people actually keep their new resolutions, and most people have fizzled out by January 12th!
With that in mind if you are on a mission of self improvement, what can you do to keep yourself on the straight and narrow?
So, instead of focusing on resolutions or goals how about focusing on embedding some really great habits that will continue to deliver no matter what you’re going through.
Here are 5 that I came up with:
Meditation
I have to admit that I resisted this for the longest time, even though so many people had told me to give it a go. When I did, I wondered what I’d been waiting for. It was a game changer, and now I meditate every single day without fail. The key here is not to over think it. It’s called a ‘practice’ for a reason. Some days you’ll find it easy, others you won’t be able to switch your monkey brain off, either way it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you give yourself permission to sit still, and breathe. Turning off and on again really does work with people too!
Journaling
I’ve been doing this since I was a kid and I don’t go far without a notebook and pen. For me journaling isn’t plotting your every move like a ‘Dear Diary’ moment, but a way of making sense and slowing down my thoughts. I ask myself a question at the top of the page and then just answer it. Always helps to stop me from getting sucked into overwhelm, but also gives me time to process things, and you might be surprised at the new ideas that bubble up to the surface.
Forgiveness
Letting things go that you’ve been carrying around can feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders, and can give you in an instant clarity of thought and headspace. It’s worth mentioning that practicing forgiveness doesn’t mean that you condone someone’s actions, and it certainly doesn’t mean saying it to their face. Instead ‘forgiveness’ here means allowing yourself to release it and let it go.
Gratitude / Celebration
Being grateful of the things you have in your life is a sure fire way to make you feel good. In fact, if you go one step further and start being grateful for the things that you don’t yet have in your life that you really want, can really help keep you motivated.
The thing is that sometimes I find it tricky to get into the feeling of being grateful. Instead I find it easier to lean into the feeling of celebration more. I also find that celebrating things that have happened throughout the day, no matter how small, really helps to focus on all the small steps I’m taking rather than feeling frustrated that I’m not further along than I am. The trick here is to not censor or judge yourself, and just allow yourself to celebrate anything that’s happened in the day…yes having a great cup of coffee counts too!
Laughter
Having a really good laugh isn’t a habit that we often focus on cultivating but this one makes you feel amazing. In fact, when was the last time you had a proper can’t breathe, ribs aching, squirting tea out of your nostrils laugh? There are so many health benefits to laughing so why aren’t we looking for it more? Ways to kick start this habit is to make a list of all the things that make you laugh and make a playlist on youtube. This can be anything from your favourite comedians to daft cat videos, and set some time everyday to check them out.
I’d love to know what habits you’re taking into 2021 and if you’d like more tips on how to improve your mindset, productivity and business come and join my 5 day Productivity course here
