NEW YEAR- Learn how to ACT on your resolutions

2019 IS GOING TO BE OUR YEAR

Hello to all and to all, a 'Hello!'. Yes, it has been an incredibly long time since my last post here. I've been thinking a lot this year about me writing, how much I enjoy it and what I should be doing about it so here I am! But more info on that later on, when we discuss my 'resolutions' or 'goals' or whatever else you like to call them. I'm personally not a fan of either of those terms so feel free to comment with other alternatives for me.

TO RESOLUTE OR NOT TO RESOLUTE

resolute

adjective

1. admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.

   
   

   
   

So, a lot of you might have made the odd new years resolution in the past that didn't go to plan and now you scoff at the sound of them. 'Yeah, yeah Leah. New year, New You- you said that last year and you're still a lazy bint who still can't stop bitching about people the moment their backs are turned.' Maybe you've never even made a new years resolution.. because it's a load of rubbish, right? Well, you carry on the way you are, sprinkling your negativity like rabbit droppings and experiencing the same year over and over again until you die.

Okay so maybe I was a little dramatic there but I LOVE the new year and I LOVE 'resolutions'. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to make changes to better your life, to better yourself as a person BUT you have to really want those changes. If you tell yourself every year that you're going to the gym 4 times a week but you actually don't mind your love handles and you hate being in public places on your own and you don't own any gym wear- WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN? So stick with me and we'll go through some tips on how to make shit happen in 2019!

DISCLAIMER: THESE TIPS MAY BE EXTREMELY RECYCLED AND OBVIOUS BUT THEY ARE CRUCIAL AND IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE YOUR RESOLUTIONS HAPPEN IN THE PAST ITS BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T PUT THESE TIPS INTO ACTION


1. What is going to bring you joy?

Before thinking about what you need to do or what you should be doing, think about what you want. If you really hate going to the gym then you're very unlikely to be able to keep your new years routine up. If you hate the taste of kale there is NO point in adding kale to your weekly shop- because you'll eat it once, gag and then curse yourself and your stupid resolutions.

This year, I've not bothered to set myself health goals because honestly? I just don't care enough to make the commitment! When you're setting your resolutions, ask yourself- do I care enough to commit? Because if you don't care, you're not going to have the determination to carry it through. Instead, ask yourself what commitments you can make to yourself this year that are going to make you a happier person. Do you love learning something new? Make a commitment this year to read more books, to go to classes or even just to watch informative videos/ documentaries. Do you love adventure? Make a commitment to visit places you've been wanting to- even if it's just a national trust in your area. Make a commitment to book in exciting excursions like Zorbing, sky diving or water sports.

I love to create and I love to write so two of my resolutions this year are to create a platform in which to sell my art (so that I can make an income out of what I love to do) and to write frequently. What brings you joy?

2. Be precise and be realistic

You need to find a place for these new commitments in your life and if you get clear on exactly what you're doing and when, you'll be more likely to follow them through. If your resolution is to read more books- set a time frame in which you're going to dedicate to reading. Whether its on every lunch break at work, for half an hour before you go to bed or for two hours on weekend days. If your resolution is to eat healthier- decide what areas of your diet you're going to change, make a list of meals you could make and get the ingredients for them. Decide whether there's anything you're going to cut out and write it down. Whatever it is, get clear on when, what and for how long.

3. Less is more

It's very easy to get carried away with how many goals you set yourself when you're wrapped up in the excitement of a new year and a (hopefully) new you but we all know that the more things we set our attention to, the more likely we are to get overwhelmed or lose focus. Less really is more when it comes to resolutions so I suggest that you set one primary resolution which will be your main focus when all else fails, and two (only if you want to) secondary resolutions that you can work on when momentum is rolling.

You want to set your primary goal as the most important to you. What is really going to add to your life? What is really going to make you happy? My primary goal this year is to invest more time into my art business and to make money from it because to make money from doing something that I love is the most important thing I can make happen for me right now.

The idea of having one primary goal and one or two secondary goals is to know where to put your energy when times get tough. Let's not pretend that the magic motivation we experience in January lasts all year round because sometimes, it doesn't even last until the end of the month! When you're feeling lacklustre or you've fallen off the motivation waggon, you can at least do something towards your primary goal- and you shouldn't forget what that is because it's supposed to be important!

4. Break it down

Resolutions look pretty simple when they're tightly packed into a nice short sentence but don't be fooled! Write a list of all the small steps you need to take in order to complete your big goal. Let's say your resolution is to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Your smaller steps might be... 1. Sign up to the gym 2. Buy or wash gym wear 3. Find a water bottle, sweat towel, padlock for your locker 4. Set up a playlist 5. Find a gym partner. These steps often take way less energy than the big goal which makes them way easier to complete and once you have completed them, you'll feel more motivated to make the big move.

5. Plan and track progress

Planning is probably one of the most important things you can do if you're serious about making your goals happen and yes- that means writing things down. You may have heard it a thousand times but it has been proved in a study (google it, I dare you.) that goals written down are far more likely to be attained. So DO IT.

Getting a weekly planner is really good because after you've broken down your big goals into smaller steps, you can start assigning them to certain days. But, don't forget to be realistic. Don't write down that you're going to go to the gym after uni on Tuesday when you know your friends are going to drag you out for drinks and don't bite off more than you can chew. If you set yourself easily attainable goals in the week, you'll be more likely to complete them and you'll feel amazing ticking them off at the end of the week which will give you MORE motivation!

The last important thing you can do to make your goals happen in 2019 is to track your progress. This is easy to do if you're checking off your previously planned pages but take ten minuets out of your Sunday to write down what you've accomplished that week and really let yourself be proud of you. This is also a great time to plan out the week ahead.

I hope you all have a really successful January!

LUNA EDEN x