There are many typical starts to a new year which can often end in disappointment. We set goals for ourselves which are often quite unrealistic. Usually, these new commitments and promises we make to ourselves are forgotten or abandoned by the time February rolls around. Setting new year aspirations also come with a lot of pressure, often taking away from our lives rather than adding them. This post will give you some food for thought on how to really make the most of the new year and the fresh energy it brings to make lasting changes that will continue for years to come.
Credit- Pixabay/nck_gsl
Remove any Pressure.
The first tip is to remove any pressure from yourself going into the new year. This means getting rid of any preconceived notions you may have of the year to come. Allow yourself to have some reasonable goals but get rid of any pressure you are putting on yourself to fulfil all of them in the first month of the year. So often, bringing in new goals and building the foundations for these to happen takes longer than a month. Putting pressure on ourselves to fulfil them within this limited timeframe can be more damaging as the disappointment leads you to abandon them.
Get Your Ducks in a Row.
It will be impossible to start the new year off right without making sure you have everything you can have in place to start. This means properly thinking through your goals for the year. What do you need for these goals? What steps do you need to take? For example, if you want to start a successful blog, think through what tools you need to start. How many times a week will you need to post? What kind of audience do you want? It may be worth considering investing in SEO to get initial traffic. This is the kind of thought process you need to go through for your new goals to stick. Although it may appear daunting writing all the steps you need to go through, by splitting the larger goal into smaller steps, the plan will eventually seem easier to tackle. It can be worth trying to tackle some admin in the Twixmas period as it is often quieter, allowing you the time to finish things you have been putting off.
Avoid Choosing the Same Goals You Choose Every Year.
This is an essential step as it avoids feelings of failure already creeping into your goal-setting. A common goal individuals choose is to lose weight or get in shape. If this is something you have said to yourself before, try quantifying this goal. Do you want to lose ten pounds? Do you want to be able to run a marathon? This can give you an easier place to start as you come into the new year, narrowing the focus and making it easier to start.
Be kind to yourself.
Don't be too harsh on yourself if you go off track in the new year. If your goal was to make some home improvements, for example, and you have hit a couple of roadblocks, there is no reason to rush. Take a minute, and don't let the disappointment discourage you. Figure out what went wrong, and then attack again. But if you need to rest and recover, that's fine too. The most important thing is to keep trying and pushing yourself despite hitting roadblocks.
Get Support
Another way to stay kind to yourself is to make sure you have got a great support system behind you. Cut ties with people that consistently make you feel bad about yourself. This can include feeling drained, jealous, or small. The people and environment you surround yourself with are paramount when feeling better. Don't be afraid to cut people off, even if you think they haven't done anything to upset you specifically. What you feel around them will tell you whether you need them. You should ensure that the people you are left with uplift you, and for anybody, you can't cut off, maybe because you live with them or work with them, try to distance yourself as much as possible. Above all, don't be afraid to put yourself first in the new year.
Try to follow these tips as much as possible. If you do, you should be well to feel your best in 2022, and making your goals actually happen.
