Let us start off by saying… Happy New Year! And Happy New Decade! It’s going to be a good one. Because, this year, we’re doing resolutions differently and we’re taking you with us. In the words of the great Lizzo, “If I’m shining, everybody gonna shine!”
How you ask? By concentrating on things that you actually want to happen and then building habits so that they do. Call them resolutions, intentions, whatever, it’s time to boss up and change your life.
CHOOSE CHANGE
Get into your time machine and travel to next New Year’s Eve. What change(s) are you the happiest you made? It probably won’t be cutting down on sugar.
Kelly McGonigal, a health psychologist and author of The Willpower Instinct, suggests focusing on the actual things in your life and not some random behaviour – working out, meditating – that you think might be good for you. Instead, take a bit of time to reflect on what changes that will bring you happiness – a cup of Grand Cru Matcha excellent at helping you focus – and head towards that.
CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
There’s a perception that if you do something for three weeks, it will become a habit. But what if in week four, you come down with the flu? It’s much more difficult to get back on that habit horse. If you want to make lasting changes or build healthier habits, altering your physical environment might be more impactful.
Remember the days when you could smoke in bars and restaurants (and, for some of us, offices)? But now that it’s banned in these environments, smoking has declined thanks, in part, to the inconvenience of having to go outside to do it. Restructuring your environment can help to build positive habits, like signing up for a pilates class next to your office or drinking a cup of Cranberry Dandelion Detox after a night on the town to help refresh your system.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS
This isn’t your first time at the Resolution Rodeo, so you probably know that these things often fail because it can be tough to stick things out. Forget about the failures and instead celebrate the small win. You went to bed for a week straight without an Instagram scroll? Reward yourself with a S’mores Chai latte. You managed to fit 5 minutes of meditation into a jam-packed day? That’s worth something.
By acknowledging, celebrating and (occasionally) rewarding yourself for sticking to your goals, getting there will be a lot more pleasant.
