How to Stick to your New Year’s Resolutions

With the sins of Christmas behind us, we look forward to the blank pages that 2017 has to offer. The steps to your “brand new life” makeover are probably already planned and your goals mapped out. At Lark and Larks we are all for self improvement and actively trying to better yourself, so that you can lead a happier life. Personal development is something we should all actively encourage, rather than telling people to, “get out of the gym” and to “stop trying”. If you see someone trying to improve their life, then give them a pat on the shoulder, not a push out the door. Due to the cynicism and the expectation of failure surrounding New Year’s resolutions, more people are inclined to feel embarrassed about the targets they’ve set, and shy away from the support of friends and family in order to achieve them. In 2015 a YouGov poll stated that 33% of their respondents wanted to get fitter, and 31% aimed to have a healthier diet. These are reasonable resolutions that are easy to achieve, but it is important to make sure that in the process of reinventing yourself, you are staying true to your old self. Your resolutions should make you happier; if you hate running then don’t aim to run a marathon. Here are a few tips to help you stick to those goals.

Avoid Having “It’s an all or nothing” attitude

An all or nothing attitude comes from the mindset of perfectionists, and can be incredibly damaging when you’re on the path of self improvement. If you’ve aimed to keep the tupperware in your kitchen cabinets matching, and a lid has disappeared into the abyss along with numerous socks, don’t worry. If you’ve endeavoured to go to the gym six days a week, but missed out a few days it isn’t the end of the world. If something goes wrong in the process of trying to achieve your New Year’s targets, focus on what the future and ways to improve the issue at hand rather than giving up all together. For example, if you want to remodel your bedroom or kitchen but cannot afford to do everything, then look at changing smaller things that will give your kitchen a facelift, like kitchen door handles and kitchen cupboard doors. Small changes can make a big difference.

Take Baby Steps

New Year’s resolutions and targets are 100% achievable when you take baby steps. It’s easy to get swept up in the energy that comes with big ideas for self improvement in the upcoming year, alongside the excitement attached to self growth and personal improvement – these are the feelings that should drive you to accomplish your targets. However, trying to do everything at once and expecting instantaneous results can be very disheartening. If your goal is to lose weight, don’t be disappointed that you haven’t dropped three sizes in a month – it is not healthy nor viable.  Focus on the clearer skin and shinier hair that comes with weight loss. Instead be realistic about the process and notice at the smaller positives that come with your New Year’s resolution.

Do Something you Want to do

Choosing a resolution or target that you actually want to achieve is really important, especially when it comes to personal growth and self improvement. Make sure that you are doing what you want to do, and not what you think you should do. This could be something as simple as thinking you should sort out the garden and make it look prettier, but you really want to find something to do with the dead space in your kitchen. Or thinking that you really should start going to exercise classes, when you want to learn a different language. If you’re not fully invested in the resolutions that you’ve set for yourself, then look at doing something that brings you excitement and passion.

Don’t Punish Yourself

Striving for self-improvement is an achievement in itself, so don’t punish yourself if you’ve set up a target and you’ve not met it. Nothing is more admirable than you actively trying to improve your life, and the journey is the most important part. If you’ve aimed to remodel the entire kitchen and bathroom by March, but you’ve only managed to find some kitchen carcasses and replacement kitchen doors that you like, that is still an achievement.  

Make Sure it Fits into Your Life

Any New Year’s resolution that you make should fit into your life, rather than take it over. If you are aiming for big changes, then make sure the time is right, as you still have to do staple things in your life, such as eat, sleep and make a living. Deciding that 2017 is the year to buy a three story house is a wonderful goal, but you have to make sure that you can afford your current living costs in the lead up to that. Whilst you’ll have to make time to do certain resolutions such as joining the gym, your job and sleeping should not be negatively impacted by it.    If you’re thinking about remodelling your kitchen or bedroom, and want to make a few changes in the coming New Year, then speak to our specialists today!

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