If you do one thing this New Year, do this.
Happy New Year to you all! I trust you have had a lovely break and are feeling rested and revitalised. The New Year is seen as a new start for many people. It’s a time of reflection and an opportunity to make improvements in order to move forward into the new year ahead.
January pressures
Many of us put a lot of pressure on ourselves in January. We make lists as long as our arm detailing all the resolutions we need to keep and when to do them by. Writing down ‘lose weight’, ‘make more money’, ‘stop drinking alcohol’ etc. can seem exciting at first but quickly turn to dread when you realise how much extra work, emotion and energy is involved in accomplishing these goals.
Trying to do too much can be pretty overwhelming, often to the point where we do nothing at all.
So, this January I urge you not to write down any New Year’s resolutions.
Yup, that’s right.
None, nada, zilch.
But, before you think. ‘Hold on here a minute, what’s wrong with settings goals and accomplishing new things?’
Well, nothing is wrong with that at all. But you need to be specific. If your goal is to lose weight, great. But how are you going to FEEL when you have lost the weight? Happy, more confident, safe, ready to date, comfortable in a bikini? What is the FEELING of accomplishing that goal? When we focus on the feeling of something, we’re already telling our body what it’s like to be in that state which makes it instantly more recognisable and attainable.
Often we berate ourselves with negative feelings, telling ourselves how fat, useless and fed up we are. But what we don’t realise is that ‘our thoughts create things’. The more you think of yourself in that way, the more likely you are to stay that way. So that’s why I urge you to drop the resolutions and start noticing what you’re saying to yourself and the feelings you have around the resolutions you have made.
Do you feel negative?
When you read the words ‘lose weight’, does that make you feel good about yourself? Or does it make you panic and wonder how on earth you’re going to do it? If you feel negatively towards your resolution then you’re off to a pretty bad start already. Goals should feel positive, fun and manageable. They need time frames and visual stimulation to make them real. You need to imagine yourself achieving that goal, so see yourself on the beach feeling comfortable in a bikini.
Visualise what you want and how you’ll feel.
Really visualise where you want to be and how you want to be feeling. The actual size and shape of your body in that moment doesn’t matter, it’s what it means to you. Use positive words and affirmations when thinking about your goal such as ‘I am healthy’, ‘where I am in my life is exactly where I need to be’, or even, ‘I am safe’.
Focusing on positive affirmations and the end result of a goal is the best way to achieve what you set out to do. The way you physically go about achieving that goal is just the detail and isn’t necessarily the most important part of the process. Once you put your mind in a state of positivity and with clear visual and emotional objectives, you will naturally be drawn to doing what is right for you.
So if your goal was to ‘relax more’, the more you visualise yourself relaxing and switching off and how that actually feels, the more you might be drawn to the right relaxation techniques for you. As you’re walking home you might see a yoga class has opened up near you, or you receive an email for a free meditation download. Suddenly opportunities open up to you because you’re receptive and ready. If you put pressure on yourself to relax and telling yourself you need to meditate for 2 hours everyday then you’re likely to feel tense and resent that resolution which inevitably means it ends in failure.
Make positive changes
If you really want to make some positive changes this year, visualise them, feel them and most of all imagine that they can happen and be confident that they will. Use positive language when you describe these changes you want to make, really feel into yourself that they are the right decision for you, not what someone else wants you to do, or what you think you should do. Just because everyone else is taking up new gym memberships doesn’t mean you have to. Perhaps an outdoor workout class would suit you better. Do what feels enjoyable and natural, that’s what a New Year is all about. Remember, this is your year, your life, you can do whatever you want. I wish you all the best.
I would love to hear your plans for the New Year and how you’re going to go about making positive changes without having to set difficult and unrealistic goals. Please feel free to share below!
Until next time, have a happy, healthy week!
Claire Zarb LCPH
t: +44 (0)7582 269569
e: claire@clairezarb.com
w: www.clairezarb.com
s: c.zarb
