we resolve to throw out the almost-empty bottle of baileys left over from christmas, and ensure to eat up all the chocolate, biscuits, cake, mince pies et al that we deem to be 'unsafe to be in the house', just to keep the temptation to stray at bay. we invest in nicotine patches, and cry "dry jan!" when invited to the pub after work. we buy fresh fruit and veg, and even eat them because - well, because january is a long month, and we're all a bit strapped for cash.
the point is, we see the turning of the calendar as an excellent jumping off point for making a healthy change in our lives. but, they never last; healthy habits aren't just for january, and yet they rarely last past the first pay check of the year. why? too much pressure. pressure to acknowledge that some of the choices we make daily aren't the healthiest for us. pressure to accept these choices need to stop being made. pressure to physically stop making them. pressure to admit we've maybe already had 12 alcoholic beverages two weeks into dry jan. so much pressure.
so rather than bore you with the tired old "walk more, drink less, eat better" crap, here's what i absolutely resolve to do differently this year, to ensure that it's my spirits and not just my body that's well looked in 2015, and ensure i start and end the year on a healthy high:
treat yo'self (because you're worth it)
yes yes, i know i should make healthier choices and drink my body weight in water, but... seriously, if i'm craving chocolate, then i am going to eat the chocolate. fancy a wine? i'm going to drink the bloody wine. had an awful day? i will pick myself up some flowers. i will find little things that make me happy, and treat myself. because, if i can't make myself happy, then how the hell will anyone else?
don't settle (you deserve more!)
compromise is a part of life, sure, but where's the fairness in always negotiating for less than what i want? rather than settle for middle of the road, this year i am going to push more for "me", and make sure i put myself first in a negotiation. again, how can i expect other people to go into bat for me, if i don't stand by my own wants and needs when the time comes. i know what i deserve, and what i'm not prepared to compromise on. i will make sure i remember that this year.
do more (of what makes you happy)
as much as i love my bed and a netflix binge, i equally love keeping busy. sadly, keeping busy can come with it a bit of a price tag, and although i've always been good with money and budgeted and saved hard, i'm not a frivolous spender and i find it hard to hand over money; a lot of my money is spent on travelling, because that is where i find my happiness. lately i've been feeling bad about dipping into savings to accommodate my wanderlust, but no more. i've saved hard for a rainy day, and it might just be that this is my rainy day. with an ever-growing travel bucket list to accommodate, i plan to start ticking off more of those destinations on the never-ending journey for happiness (what a sap).
these few things seem simple enough, but they're things i absolutely let fall by the wayside while i'm too busy worrying about what to have for dinner, or if i should have had that entire bottle of wine, or when will i be able to watch the next four episodes of friends. this year, i'm going to remember the most important element in all the "new year, new me" nonsense....me.
what resolutions are you actually planning to keep this year?
i'd love to hear them below.
