What are you adding to your year, rather than cutting things out?
Those familiar with my blogs will be very well aware that I am NOT a new year resolutions person. Nor do I believe in setting goals for the year ahead in January, when it’s cold, dark and usually a gloomy month.
However, there is just no escape from the relentless media coverage of ‘new year, new you’ or other headlines suggesting that you cut back, cut out, step up, and all in all, remove anything remotely pleasurable from your life. That does not sound like a happy new year to me!
What I want to know is NOT what are the things you are cutting out in 2023, but what you are going to ADD into it to feel more fulfilled? How can you create pockets of happiness? What things are going to add value to your life?
I’m not for one minute saying that people shouldn’t make new year resolutions or cut out things that are making them unhappy or unhealthy, but it seems to me we focus so much on the negative side of habit changing that we start from the wrong place. If we come from ‘this is going to be a struggle’, it just makes it even harder to feel motivated for change. Instead this year, make your new year resolutions about what you can add to your life, and makes you feel happier and healthier.
In 2023 I am going to –
- Spend more time with friends who energise me, who add something positive to my life.
- Add regular breaks into my calendar and actual time away from work to recharge the batteries.
- I’m going to seek out events that inspire me or make me happy, whether that’s live music or a theatre performance. There might not be many, but I am going to find ones that count, as quality not quantity matters more to me.
- I’m going to be more adventurous with my meal planning. I know that sounds boring, but I want more variety in my diet and to experiment cooking different things.
- I’m going to do more dancing! I LOVE dancing, I don’t know how yet but I’m going to find a way to have more dancing in my life.
That’s just for starters. See how much more joyful it sounds though?
So, while people are embarking on dry January or working out what food groups they need to eliminate from their diet, I’m going to be dancing around my kitchen, planning adventures with my friends, enjoying new tastes and experiences. I hope you join me!
