Reflecting On The New Year…
Posted on 31 January 2010
It’s easy to let January’s positive intentions slip. Here’s how to get things back on track and create some life changing habits…
Backtrack a few weeks. Bring yourself to the beginning of January, sucked in by all the excitement and hopes for a fresh start and a new you in 2010.
How much of that has faded? How much have you kept up? Are you:
- Still working out consitantly
- Eating a good real foods diet
- Practicing Relaxation and De-Stressing
- Journalling, and Being Efficient with your time
- Spending more time with loved ones
Those are just a handful of things you may have decided to do for the new year. Funny thing is, when I go to my gym, it is far emptier than it was a few weeks ago. Those around me who promised to stop smoking or eat healthier have quickly slipped back into their old habits. This is not a bad thing, and it is totally natural sometimes. We just need a reminder to get back on track and turn these changes into habit.
The truth is, many of us go too hard for the new year. We become overly driven for our goals, making us likely to burn ourselves out. This stops us from making small changes into habits. So how do we solve this?
Create Habits
The only solution I have found to this is to start creating habits, its pretty simple but it takes a litte time each day and some mindfullness but it can be achieved pretty easily. I want you to pick a few things you want to achieve in 2010 for instance:
- Go to the Gym 3 times a week
- Eat a Healthy Breakfast Everyday
- No Caffeine after Midday
- Practice Relaxation 5 Days a Week
So there you go: four simple things that would improve your health. Now simply practice one of those things each month, consistently,as to create a habit out of it which will stick for the rest of your life. Don’t worry about bad habits – instead, create good habits to replace them.
So for the month of Febuary you may decide to “Eat a Healthy Breakfast Everyday” if you can simply sstick to this one lifestyle change throughout Febuary your life will improve dramatically and you will find by the time March rolls around eating a healthy breakfast will be so ingrained that you won’t even need to think about it. Allowing you to roll onto your next Habit.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. If you happen to miss one or two days, it’s no biggie -- just get back on track, and maintain the positive steps you are taking. Do whatever you need to do to remember: make a list of breakfast recipes, wake up 10 minutes early to prepare breakfast, or even make it the night before. Eating a healthy breakfast sets you off on the right foot, making you feel better and be more likely to eat healthy throughout the day.
This is one example but it can apply to anything you want to achieve. For instance have a look at some habits I have been trying to implement:
- Daily Meditation of at least 15 minutes
- 20 Minutes of Interval training 3 times a week
- Read a real book for 30 minutes each day
This month it has been meditation, and it’s been pretty good. Sure I have missed a couple of sessions, but I really feel that meditation is a part of my life now, and it is here to stay. Also, please checkout the video from Matthieu Ricard, below; the two parts are 20 minutes long in total, but it is well worth your time.
Comment by Grok
31 January 2010
Other than a sinful reward night last night, my new year is just getting warmed up! Life is good.
Haven’t been meditating. Need to sit down and write out my plans, so I’ll be sure to sneak that in there somewhere
Comment by Miss Zen
31 January 2010
Very inspiring, yet practical !
Comment by Carla
31 January 2010
This is the first time ever in my 39 years that I have been able to stick to my resolutions!
Comment by Hugh
31 January 2010
Thanks for the reminder! I’ve honestly been pretty disciplined so far, but there are always areas where I can improve, and giving myself a monthly assessment is a great idea.
Comment by Lanette
31 January 2010
Just a couple of days ago I read my 3 New Year’s Resolutions. One is going great. One I am completely failing. One I completely forgot about – not sure how that is possible since I just wrote it a mere month ago! The one I am failing…cutting down on sugar is really hard for me. This post helped me realize I am headed down that slippery slope of giving in to the craving and giving up on my goal to reduce my daily sugar intake. I need to refocus and work on baby steps.
Comment by Betsy Henry (zen-mama.com)
1 February 2010
I like this! It’s very do-able for those of us with children and a busy life. I like the reading a book. That’s how I clear my mind of all the chatter…almost like meditation.
@ Betsy: A few weeks back I was watching television before going to bed and getting pretty bad sleep (makes sense) after reverting back to by pre-sleep read things are way better. It is definitely a great way to tire out the eye’s and calm the mind chatter after a long day.
Comment by Christine
1 February 2010
“Don’t worry about bad habits – instead, create good habits to replace them.”
I love that. I found your blog through ZenHabits. I’ve been going through your work and it’s awesome! There’s something about how gentle and encouraging your posts are that now has me hooked.
@ Christine: Thanks for the compliments. The quote is not actually mine I remember reading it somewhere and it stuck with me. It is really good though as old habits can’t be broken they can only be replaced so its something well worth remembering!
Comment by joe guitar
1 February 2010
beautiful post… very inspiring!
Comment by Hans Hageman
1 February 2010
Good reminders! Writing these things down and including them in your organizer/planner can also be helpful.
@ Hans: Journal-ling is definitely something we should all be doing, its a beautiful feeling to be able to clear your mind and just get things down on paper.
Comment by Jen-JensFitnessTips.com
1 February 2010
Great post!! Awesome ways to get back on track and still meeting your goals. It’s so important to not make goals that are too difficult. Like you said, narrow it down and make more specific and acheivable goals. You’ll be more successful, happy, confident, etc. Thanks for sharing!
Jen
Comment by McTofu
1 February 2010
I made a promise to myself that this year would be less resolution and more changing my attitudes to things. Since I have done so, things just seem to be so much easier. Following a better, healthier lifestyle, more working out, less eating crap, more early nights and more quiet ‘me’ time. I feel more balanced and able to tackle things as they arise [the biggest change has been reducing carbs, my god, no more sugar spikes or crashes, it's great!!!!!]. Thanks for the great post, a good reminder that I am actually on track for once
Comment by angelvalerie
2 February 2010
Love this reminder to be the turtle and not the hare! Thanks
And I fully need to remind myself to be mindful and work consistently on one thing at a time.
Comment by Luke
2 February 2010
This is a very encouraging post. I like the approach of creating a positive feedback culture for yourself as oppose to slamming yourself down each time you have a blip, or miss a gym session.
Whilst I agree that things are easier as soon as they become habitual, (I’ve been getting up an hour earlier each day to work on my blog before work – a pain at first but now it’s second nature)I like to keep flexibility in my life. I think you may need to set out with a strict mindset at first to engrain those good habits into your life but once you are comfortable and confident in your self-control/comittment, I think it is wise to be flexible and allow these good habits to be fluent with your life. This might mean being more spontaneous or sacraficing the habit if work is too busy. I see this as the lesser of two evils really because if you make things too regimental and rigid, the fun factor may go down and you are more likely to drop your new healthy habit.
Comment by Adam
3 February 2010
*For those that are making going to the gym a new habit, the regulars are pulling for you. They want to see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to engage them.
*In my experience, those that are doing the most incredible stuff are the most willing to offer help, because along the way, many people offered them tips, support, and encouragement.
*If you are respectful and serious about learning, fountains of knowledge will come your way. More importantly, the social connection will keep you coming back.
*This post is a positive reminder to stick with it and an eloquent example of the type of support that I am talking about.