It's that time of year again when you decide that you are going to drop your negative habits and swap them for a healthy, productive and idealist new routine…that may/or may not last one week. Well, Ciara Fanning is here to share some ideas of realistic resolutions this year that might make it to February. Take it away, Ciara.
Whether you are going to take more photos, learn how to play the guitar, try something new every day or fly a commercial flight, the options for your New Year’s resolutions are endless. But after that one episode of Friends, it begs me to question if the idea of changing yourself at the start of a New Year has a positive impact on your life. No one ever wants to be in a situation like Ross, so why do we pressure ourselves to change?
If you have ever actually stuck to a New Year’s resolution, you’re better than me and most other people. The average length of time someone sticks to a resolution is roughly three months.
Resolutions have never sat well with me; why add extra pressure to yourself? You never know what life may throw your way throughout a year. While it is important to have aims, the time pressure behind a resolution when you can’t predict the future is overwhelming and usually leads to disappointment in yourself for not sticking to your pressurised and almost forced dedication.
Quit the pressure and change subtle aspects of your life, bringing about positivity and in turn, contribute to the accomplishment of your aims, any time of year.
Realistic Resolutions:
The Great Outdoors - Time to stop using the good old Irish weather as an excuse to hide from the outside. There is nothing we can do to change the elements, but we can let them not affect us. Spending time outside can help improve your mood, reduce stress and improve your physical health by keeping you active. Just going for a brisk walk in some fresh air can have great, positive impacts on your life.
Positive Thinking - The act of changing your negative thought patterns to positive thoughts is an easy way to better your mental and physical wellbeing. With positive thinking being linked to improving life outcomes and satisfaction, by kicking some negative thoughts to the bin and incorporating positive thinking into all aspects of your life, it could turn your 2024 around.
Journaling - Dear Diary, I need to clear my head. Grab a notebook, pen (maybe a nice candle), and a couple of minutes to yourself and I guarantee you, you will feel revived and relaxed. There are endless options of guided wellness, gratitude, and goal set journals on the market to aid you as you begin your journaling journey or keep it simple with a blank piece of paper and just rant… also helping increase positive thinking!
Reading - Reading more must be one of the most popular New Year's resolutions (apart from starting the gym). It is one that can be easily neglected and thrown to the side. Pressurising yourself to read endless books, reading a ridiculous amount a day, when we know that sometimes that just is not possible. Instead, setting a few pages you will read before you close your eyes at night will help make it seem less like a task and more of a privilege while also relaxing you before bed and improving your overall sleep quality.
Playlist a month - This one I LOVE. I find myself liking a song, adding them to random playlist and then forgetting about them. Every month, begin a playlist with the month name as a title and as the month goes on, add songs that resonate with you that month. By the end of the year, you will have playlists dedicated to how you felt, events that took place that month that you may have forgotten. Over the year, you will see how far you have grown, how you have changed and who has made an impact on your year. Monthly playlists are better than Spotify wrapped, in my opinion!
BINGOOOOO - Something had to be inspired by TikTok, of course. I have created a bingo card with small aims I have for myself for 2024. I am a firm believer in what is for you, won’t go by you and that was why I liked the idea behind bingo cards. If something didn’t go the way I wanted it to in 2023, it doesn’t mean it won’t in the future and there is possibly a deeper meaning behind it. I wanted to eliminate time pressure, so these goals are not time precious, simply if they happen to come to life in 2024, I will tick them off in the hopes that someday I can shout BINGO!
These minor life changes will in turn change your daily routine and positively impact your life, with no pressure, time restraints or major life altering changes.
Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!
