Happy New Year to you!

Are you putting pressure on yourself to be a new you in the new year?

I am pretty certain that the current you does NOT need upgrading to a new you.

I am not a fan of New Years resolutions myself, I know they don't work because they don't stick. They're not meaningful and set in a way that you will make a change you might actually want to make.

You survived 2024 and so here's my suggestion for how to make a change in 2025

SMART goals, but not them on their own. I like SMART goals because they can be tracked. If you're new to SMART goals, they are;

S - specific

M - measurable

A - achievable

R - realistic

T- time bound

If you're rolling your eyes at seeing me mention SMART goals, I get you, I did too when I heard it on a YouTube video I watched recently. BUT I totally get why those are the best kind (my opinion). Why bother setting goals if they aren't ones you can see your progress on, actually achieve or know when you've succeeded?

More than just SMART goals

I did say that SMART goals on their own won't cut it. What you need is more than that. Bear with me here....

Commitment to yourself

The goals should ideally be written down, physically hand written (if possible) as this communicates best with your brain meaning you are more likely to achieve the goals. Write them (or it, if you've only got one) on a piece of paper, at the front of a notebook or at the front of your diary. There's me assuming you're reading and setting these goals in January. Student diaries run a different time period though so that could still work.

#Break it down#

Sorry I put that with the # on either side, I heard it in my head with a bit of a beat and decided it needed to come across like that. Back to the goals...

Break each one down into smaller pieces, as small as you can make it. You wouldn't eat your food without cutting it up, it's the same principal here. I'll give you an example:

Goal  - to loose 1 stone by May so you fit into the bikini that's a bit tight and feel happier wearing it

Simplified goal - loose 1 stone by May

Then think about how you can go about loosing that 1 stone

Gym membership? Only any good if you're actually going and using it

Smaller task - going to the gym 3 times a week

Drinking water is supposed to be good for you, perhaps you already drink water but how much? You could track it or aim for a certain amount each day

Smaller task - drink (x amount) glasses of water a day

Another smaller task - walk (x amount) of steps a day

To make those steps even smaller, put on or pack your gym clothes ready to go

When you've got up in the morning, drink a glass of water before you leave the house/start work if you're working from home

Move your body every hour (at minimum) if you're drinking more water, to start with you'll be going to the toilet more so you'll need to get up more often

Turn the tasks into a habit

If you can link any of your tasks to something you already do, you've got more of a fighting chance of success. For example, every time you get up from your desk, get a glass of water to drink. This one links in the step goal and water goal. Going to the gym could work better if it's on your way home from work, so you can tie it in to your routine there. Simple but very effective.

Don't leave it there though...

You'll need to review what you've been doing, how consistent have you been in doing what you've aimed to.

Perhaps you need to change what you've asked yourself to do, the frequency of it or perhaps it's been too easy and you need to step it up a gear?

It's how I managed to work full time, study part time, be in placement and have a life. I had to break everything down and deal with bits at a time, there was no other way of getting everything done. I've done other things using a similar system but it's all about the system to get the things done. Perhaps sounds a lot but it's really simple once it's set up.

Good luck and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions along the way. You have got this and if you don't want to change, or don't succeed in making changes, you are fabulous just as you are. Improvements aren't necessary, just optional.

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Thank you for the photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash