New year, new you?

If you’re being honest with yourself, how many New Year’s resolutions have you really stuck to in your life? I can tell you my exact number – zero. And I know I’m not alone.

This begs the question then, are New Year’s resolutions a thing of the past? Are we simply setting ourselves up to fail by putting in place these unrealistic ideas that we (in all honesty) have no intention of following? Or, should we start to hold ourselves accountable and strive for self-improvement?

If you struggle with resolutions in the traditional sense, there could be other ways you can make changes to improve your lifestyle and your overall happiness. Personally, I love the idea of a power-word. My word for 2021 was ACTION – after all, intention and hope are easy. Putting things into action is what really counts.

With a power-word, there is no specific goal or expectation for you to hold yourself to. Instead, there is an idea you can put into practice in many areas of your life, when inspiration strikes most prominently.

Think about other things you can do to improve your mindset, happiness and overall wellbeing. Perhaps you want to learn something new, have more positive experiences, start that hobby you’ve always thought about…

The truth is, you don’t need to put pressure on yourself to make these changes. In fact, most people are likely to achieve something they want, rather than something they feel they have to do.

Another alternative to the traditional New Year’s resolution is a broken-down intention. If there’s something you really want to do, you’re going to need to know how. Are there specific steps you can take? New habits you can form over time? Break it down and make it enjoyable.

Don’t feel pressured to jump on the bandwagon and tell yourself (and other people) that your New Year’s resolution is to lose 10lb, or quit drinking alcohol, or any other cliché resolution we all hear year in, year out. This is your life. Do what makes you happy and not what you think other people would expect of you.

Of course, I’m not dismissing resolutions altogether. In fact, they work fantastically for some people. If you’re one of these people, congratulations. Personally, the idea has never worked for me, and I’m not sure it ever will.

However you choose to make changes in 2022, make them for you. Make them positive; make them fulfilling and most of all, make them fun.