Are your New Year’s resolutions the same each year?
Maybe you start out on January 1st excited and determined, but then quickly lose motivation. Sounds like a familiar story right?
It’s a tough job to creating lasting change. You really need to be focused and committed or you’ll quickly struggle to sustain it.
There is a better way to approach your New Year’s resolutions for 2012. Rather than dive straight in to all that difficult stuff like “lose 20lbs and quit all sugar-forever”. You can approach your new year’s resolutions for 2012 in a more realistic and achievable way.
Does that mean that these small goals won’t have a massive impact on your quality of life and wellbeing? Actually, it’s exactly the opposite.
The suggestions below will all add great benefits to your life and they don’t cost much either. And when you’ve been successful with completing these goals, you’ll have the confidence to start achieving harder goals.
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions
1. Challenge your comfort zone and do things that scare you
Our comfort zones as just that. Comfortable. But if we fail to stretch ourselves both physically and mentally on a regular basis how will we know what we’re capable of? If there is something that your resisting, something you’re scared of doing. Chances are that’s exactly the thing you need to do. Make a habit of challenging your comfort zone in 2012 and facing your fears.
2. Become a better neighbour and make new friends
So few of us really know our neighbours anymore?
It’s as if getting to know the people we live side by side with; is no longer important. But if you want to live in a safe, welcoming and supportive community then you need to do your part.
The best thing about this is, when you decide to get to know your neighbours better you’ll find you make some new friends too. Then you won’t have to feel so embarrassed when you knock to borrow a screw driver, a hammer or a pinch of salt.
3.Learn a new skill and don’t quit just because it gets hard
Whether it’s painting, graphic design or crosswords. What’s that skill or hobby that you always wanted to learn or become better at?
Why not make 2012 the year that you decide to commit to that. You can take a class, on online course; or put together a course of home study. The method you choose is not really important, what’s important is that you stick to your decision.
There’s is a fantastic way to commit and make sure you stick with your decision. This is to tell all your family and friends what you’ve committed to doing and making yourself accountable. You’ll find it’s a lot harder to quit when friends keep asking “hey ….show us some of your new graphic designs”.
4. Volunteer some of your time to a charity and help others less fortunate
Our day to day lives are incredibly busy. What with family, work and friends and everyday domestics, it can be hard to find a little time for ourselves. But all of us have at least one weekend a year that we can donate to help a worthy cause. It feels good to help others less fortunate than ourselves.
You can start giving back today. There is no need to wait until your super rich.
5. Don’t forget to pamper yourself ( make it a priority)
It’s so important that we set aside time for ourselves, but when life gets busy it can be easy to put everything else before yourself. We all need time to re-evaluate and recharge our mind and bodies. It’s not a luxury to make time for you, it’s a necessity.
6. Get rid of everything you own that you’ve not used in the last 2 years
We all own so much stuff that we don’t need, use or really want. This New Year’s resolution for 2012 may be challenging, especially if you’re a bit of a hoarder.Go through your house and throw out everything you’ve not used in the last 2 years. Unless it’s something particularly important, you’ll find that won’t even miss it when it’s gone.
Then time for the hard part. Make a resolution not to buy any more stuff you don’t need for the rest of the year.
7. Be more spontaneous and have as much fun as you can
Some of our most memorable times are when we just go with the flow and have fun with no agenda. So many of us fall into boring routines where we do the same things, go to the same places and see the same people every day. Boring.
You can start by making small changes, things like eating something different everyday or taking a different route home. Why not go to the movies and see the first film which catches your attention. The goal is not to plan…just to do.
8. Make a sound financial investment
There is a great piece of advice that would make us all a lot richer if we simply followed it. ”Stop buying liabilities and starting acquiring assets”-unknown. Make this advice your personal mantra for 2012 and look for ways that you can wisely invest your money. It pays to do your research and get some professional advice before you make any final decisions. But isn’t it about time that you started to make your money work for you?.
9.Refuse to take any more credit
Save for one credit card (which you can use for emergencies only). Cut up all those credit cards taking pride of place in your wallet. Whilst they seam like a good idea at the time. Millions will testify that credit card debt is a great source of stress and worry, not to mention expense. Did you really need that new laptop…your last one still works!
Decide on how you intend to repay your existing debt and then make a decision not to take on any more debt or credit -as a resolution for 2012. Your bank manager may not like it, but you’ll find you sleep a lot easier.
10. Find something to laugh about every day
A simple but achievable New Year’s resolution for 2012 is to laugh every day. Life comes with a never ending supply of challenges to overcome. But it’s possible to actively choose a more optimistic outlook on life. There’s humour to be found in the simple everyday things if you look for it. So no need to buy expensive comedy club tickets if you want to laugh until your sides hurt. Just lighten up a little..
You don’t have to start your New Year’s resolutions for 2012 like this:
- Lose 2olbs
- Learn how to speak Chinese ( in 3 months)
It’s possible to take a more realistic approach to life and be a lot kinder to ourselves in the process. But it’s important to remember that exchanging bad habits for good ones – takes time.
At the end of the year, it’s easy to decide to tackle all those problem areas in your life in the year ahead. But it’s a bad strategy to try and tackle them all at once. Take a more long-term measured approach if you really want to succeed at achieving your New Year’s resolutions in 2012.
