About New Year’s Resolutions

Hello everybody, this is the first article I will be writing for my blog. I hope to inspire you or lend a helping hand when needed. So stay in touch, tell me what you think.
As we were ringing in 2019, I couldnt help but think about how our calendar and the imposed end of a year rounds up, or better yet frames a fragment of time in our life and gives us much needed hope to put some of the past behind us and hope for a better year, for better times to come. Because you see, time doesn’t magically stop and life doesn’t magically change when a year is over but after taking a break for the holidays, you get that fresh energy to say: “OK, I’ve got this, I’ll kick some butt and make this year better!” And so we start to make resolutions and to plan…and well…most of the time, we forget our own promises to ourselves pretty quickly. So I was thinking, how can we make resolutions stick around longer?
On a whole, I think we need to be kind to ourselves, be gentle and understanding with our minds, our bodies, we need to love more, travel and take time off, be in the moment when life is good and smile as much as possible. But improvement keeps us going, it keeps us on our toes and makes us more productive.
So here is what I was thinking:

1. I’m in my 30s already so I feel pain in muscles I didn’t know I had before. I need to start taking more care of myself, eat healthier, cook more, eat out less and exercise more. But that’s hard, how can I make it easier?
   By taking baby steps. Taking it one day at a time.
   Join a gym? Why not? But go work out twice a week in the beginning, build up a regular schedule and then gradually add to it as you evolve.
   Cooking healthier at home? Pick out 2, 3 days a week when you start cooking and experimenting and then add as you go.
   Don’t take the fun out of a challenge. Because in the beginning, it is a challenge. Try to make it bearable at first and then gradually make it fun. Go work out with friends or better yet, find friends at the gym to work out with. Go for longer walks when you feel the need to move. Skip a bus/tram/metro ride on your daily commute to get in the extra 20 minutes of exercise. Just take what works for you and make it your own.
   Best tip for me was a money jar. Not a piggy bank, a transparent jar. You start with 1 EUR the first day and up the sum by 1 EUR each day until you get to 10. I find 10 to be that limit where it doesn’t affect you to not have those 10 EUR a day. And you see the money adding up in a jar, its so satisfying.
2. Don’t change everything at once. We are creatures of habit and it’s tricky to adapt if you change your whole environment at once. One small decision is all it takes. Implement and then move on to the next milestone.
3. If you eff it up, don’t lose your will and don’t beat yourself up. Just take that day off, reflect, regroup and start again. You are doing it for yourself, not for others.
4. Talk to friends, family about your goals, share with them. They can help keep you on track, give you an extra boost when you need it. Or kick your ass if you stop doing it.
5. Reward yourself for every milestone you achieve. That is so important. And know when to take a break and just…be.
6. Write down what you want to get done this year so you can compare it with the facts at the end of the year.
7. Don’t focus on the end result, it might seem so far away at the moment. That’s how you lose steam. Focus on putting one foot in front of the other and making every day better.
   So yes, my proposal to you. Now I just need to do it myself. And I will commit to it. I’ll let you know along the way how it works.
   If you need energy, a fresh perspective or a kind word to keep you motivated, you know where to find me.
   Have a good one, make it your best yet!