Resolutions you can stick to

By this stage in the month, New Year’s Resolutions are often nothing but a distant memory, apart from those still clinging on doggedly to Dry or Vegan-uary.

Often we make the mistake of making our resolutions far too big, when what we really need is a micro-resolution – something tiny that we can stick to for much longer, maybe even forever! Here are some ideas for small changes that can make a big difference.

 

Drink more water

But not, ‘I will religiously down 2 litres of water every day!’ Try, ‘I will drink a glass of water as soon as I wake up’, or ‘For every coffee I drink, I will also drink a small cup of water.’ Best to concentrate this goal during the daylight hours, otherwise it might interfere with the next one…

 

Get more sleep

Almost everyone could benefit from more sleep, but if we go to bed too early sometimes it can just have the opposite effect of us lying there getting increasingly annoyed that we aren’t tired yet. Try going to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual, then once this new bedtime becomes routine, start going 10 minutes before that, and so on.

 

Save some money

During this time of economic crisis, everyone is cutting back and reviewing their spending habits, particularly during this month when the impact of Christmas spending really starts to hit. Get your finances organised for this year’s festivities with a long-term micro-savings plan; if you put £1 in a jar every day (or transfer it into your savings account electronically), by the end of the year that will be a nice little sum to put towards Christmas presents or other festive treats.

 

Move your body

An exercise goal doesn’t have to involve a fancy gym membership or a marathon training programme. The concept of ‘exercise snacking’ has gained popularity in recent years – short bursts of exercise done whenever and wherever convenient as part of your daily routine. Do squats while waiting for the kettle to boil, run up the stairs instead of taking the lift, do bicep curls whilst on the phone, but probably stop short of doing lunges in the queue for the photocopier…

 

So there you have it, a set of resolutions that everyone can stick to. And by the way, if your January is both dry AND vegan, all hail to you!