New Years resolutions, ideas and goals and how to stick to them

So it's January and you've probably over indulged a bit over Christmas (I know I have!) and now you want to make 2018 your year.

Every year I hear people saying 'I want to achieve this' 'I want to start doing this' and it's always so nice to see so much positivity and motivation. However I saw a static on TV recently that said something along the lines of 'only 8% of people stick to their New Years resolutions' But why is this?

It normally comes from goals that are long-term and not small goals. People jump into something so quickly and intensely it completely puts them off such as ' exercising more often.' This doesn't mean you have to throw yourself into exercising five times per week. You don’t even need to join a gym. Go for a half an hour walk or jog before work or when you get home. You could even just start at once a week for 10 minutes. Throwing yourself into something straight away is normally a bad way to start and makes it harder for it to be a part of your lifestyle as it needs to fit it in with you.

Building habits is a good way to start doing the resolutions you want but there's no need to feel bad because you didn't achieve something straight away, it takes 21 days to form new habits so it's all about patience and easing yourself in.

The most common resolutions I hear are;

1. Spend less money 2. Self care 3 Learn a new skill

4. Get a new hobby

These goals are all achievable but it's just about being mindful of what you can do. For example the same can be applied for those who want to save money, you won’t be able to change your spending habits straight off - especially with the cost of living and depending if you live at home or not - but small changes like writing down what you are spending and sticking to a budget can make all the difference. Being mindful of things you may spend your money on, like a £3 iced coffee from Nero's or a new eyeshadow palette when you already have 5 (Guilty and guilty...!)

It's just making those small changes that can make a big difference. I personally find setting up savings accounts in names such as 'Holiday savings' or 'Christmas savings' sets a good base line and then have it as a direct debit that comes out automatically. This is a good way to get the ball rolling and feeling like you have your savings on track. I also find it helpful to set goals on these savings and where you'd like to be at by a certain date.

I am very passionate about self care and I want to make it my resolution this year too. This is a common resolution but can mean one thing to one person and something else to another. I feel that you can look after yourself in a 100 different ways and it could just be from drinking more water, eating more fruit or reading books on mindfulness and self care. I find these kinda of books are really helpful.

I really do think everyone needs some me time and there's only one you, so it's worth investing in yourself and looking after you.

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and happy new year!

(I am hoping to start blogging more again now as I had a big gap between October - December!)

Love Natalie x

#Lifestyle #Lifehacks #Mentalhealth