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New Year: New Me?

It's that time of year again: new starts, New Year's resolutions and new challenges... But what does 2025 mean to you?

 

New Horizons

January. Some people love it, others...not so much! For some people, it can feel a little anti-climatic and a tad dreary after the exciting festive period of December. The reality of the everyday grind can suddenly feel a little relentless and motivation can wane if we don't find things to look forward to. However, for some, January spells new beginnings and a chance for change. I have spoken to some who say they love the return to routine and thrive on the consistency and normality of the working week. They love to 'lean in' to the cosiness of the dark evenings -curling up with a good book or a gripping TV series- and enjoy the quieter period to enjoy simple pleasures: a walk in nature, playing board games with loved ones, resuming that neglected hobby or simply enjoying a good cup of coffee in your favourite cafe!


Whatever your feelings are towards this month, a new year itself can sometimes feel a little daunting for a multitude of different reasons. Whether it's high hopes, unknown expectations or the societal noise about the 'new year' ahead, it can leave us feeling pressured into action and change, wondering: what do we really want in 2025?


My Experience

Personally, I have always loved the concept of fresh starts and new beginnings. As a self-confessed planner and to-do list ticker, I've always been keen to begin the new year with a long list of New Year's resolutions. Have I always stuck to them? Probably not. But does that deter me from still facing each year with the same hope and optimism? No. However, overall the past few years, my journey into self-development and personal growth has enabled me to accumulate a whole host of different methods to increase lasting change, intentional living and improve my general physical and mental well-being. Below are some alternative approaches that I have adopted and found helpful. So if your New Year's Resolutions are perhaps not serving you in the way you intended, you may want to take a look at the following...


Alternative Approaches

It's a known fact that our hopeful new year resolutions are often broken shortly after beginning the year. This can be for a multitude of different reasons: busy lives with many priorities; being too rigid in our thinking (with an "all or nothing" mindset); having unrealistic expectations/goals for the time frame given; not thinking deeply about "the why" and our motivation behind this desired change; or simply not allowing enough time for the habit to embed into our daily lives. There are so many valid reasons as to why it can be difficult to make changes, even when we know they are for the better! And even though I love the new year along with the concept of resolutions, there can be other approaches that may feel gentler (and kinder) when trying to make that first step:


  1. Word of the year

I love this concept! Last year I decided to think of a word that I would apply to my everyday life and motivations. For 2024 I opted for 'opportunity' and this meant that I wanted to take advantages of all of the experiences and options on offer to me. This coincided well with my decision to be self-employed and go travelling. For some reason, one word that mirrors your priorities, values or motivations can enable you to live more in alignment with your true purpose. My word for this year is 'energy' and this can take all forms; whether it's physical energy in my day to day, mental energy for focus, or simply, channelling energy into the things that are important to me in the here and now. I have spoken to others who have also chosen some wonderful words for the year: 'consistency', 'healthy' and 'positivity' to name a few.


  1. Theme of the month

Another approach that I have seen this year is the idea of a monthly theme. This is another great concept, especially to provide some kind of focus for the immediate future. Possible themes could be: health, well-being, hobbies, self-care, spirituality... It could be anything! Mine for this month has been 'research', as I have been currently looking into different opportunities for both work and my hobbies. This can take time (which I have at the moment) so it made sense to capitalise on this. As I continue to move through the year, I will definitely take some time to reflect on my theme of the month (changing it accordingly) to further sharpen my focus.


  1. Priorities every month

This was a practice that I adopted in 2023 and I have found it to be fantastic for achieving a number of goals. Every month, I will take a page in my notebook and write down six of my priorities; it can be bright and colourful and written in whichever way pleases you. In our busy lives it can be so difficult to prioritise everything that we would want to in an ideal world but accepting that these priorities can shift, change and evolve as the year unfolds can provide a little relief thus making the idea of goal setting less overwhelming. Knowing that I can continually reassess this thus have full autonomy over where I channel my time and energy, not only adds variety to the year but also enables me to live more intentionally from week to week.


Examples of this from the past may be a page titled with the month of September along with the priorities of: writing, reading, walking in nature, spending time with friends, going to the gym and saving money (through budget friendly activities). Again your priorities are your choice and it could be absolutely anything! Six may also feel like too many so you could always limit it to a few. Throughout the month you can then refer back to this page and review which ones are going well along with the ones that require a little more attention!


  1. Weekly targets

If you are someone who needs something that is more tangible, weekly targets can work wonders when seeking that overall sense of achievement. In the past, I have thought about different areas of my life and created a target for each. For example:


  • Health & Fitness: do three gym sessions of 45 minutes.

  • Writing: complete one short story.

  • Personal Development: sign up for Spanish lessons.

  • Financial: pay all bills.

  • Work: get all lessons planned/arranged for the week.

  • Friends & Family: arrange tickets to see the football with family.


These are just some examples and you can shape it in a way that meets your weekly needs. Other areas of focus could be: your faith, your spirituality, self-care, specific hobbies (sports, creative pursuits etc), fun and experiences, everyday admin or even a target of having one day that's free of schedules, goals and plans! It's your week to shape as you like!


  1. Daily Habits

From zooming out on the year to zooming in on the every day, it's those little habits that ultimately see the most success! I never really understood this until I started writing. I enjoy writing short stories but my best attention span for this only lasts between 1-2 hours per day. Therefore, by working daily on my short story collection (limiting my time to 2 hours or less) is when I am most productive thus see the "fruits of my labour" (as it were!). However, if I try and cram more than two hours of working on this project (and fail to commit to it daily), I achieve very little. The 'little and often' approach enables me to set realistic expectations for that day whilst simultaneously enjoying the process.



Over to You

Some of these strategies may work for you, some of them may not and there may be some that you're already doing! Or maybe you have your own techniques for setting and achieving your goals- if so, I would love to hear from you! These are just some of the approaches that I've trialled over the years but it's always important to tailor them to your own needs in order to see what it right for you. However, if you feel that some of these methods may work for you, you may want to explore a few of the following questions:


  • What is your word for the year?

  • What is your theme for January?

  • What are your priorities for either this month or next?

  • Do you have any targets for this week?

  • Do you have a daily habit that you would love to integrate into your every day routine?


Final Words

In conclusion, I love the idea that with a new year comes a new start but it doesn't necessarily need to be a new me. This year, it can be the old me, with all the richness of my past experiences, who is ready to face each new day with renewed passion, patience and positivity! I can't wait to see where it leads...




Thank you for reading my blog

~

I wish you a wonderful 2025!


xxx

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