People sometimes scoff at New Year’s resolutions.
But I froth the whole concept!
I understand why people may scoff. The cliched resolutions are generally the ones that don’t stick and the cynics lament, if you don’t set the resolution, you can’t be disappointed. Bah humbug I say.

New Year doesn't have to be New You. In fact this may be where so many of us trip up. Rather that a perfunctory day to reinvent yourself, new years can be a great opportunity to reflect and set some intentions about the life you choose to lead.
Reflecting on what you have loved about the last 12 months, who and what has brought you joy, the challenges you overcame, what you are proud of. Reflecting also on what have been sticking points or you, who or what drained your energy, what you haven't been able to achieve, perhaps some things you'd wished were different. Looking more inwardly, and reflecting on how you showed up for yourself over the last year, your boundaries, how you lived your values, who you showed up for, how you showed up.
All of these reflections can help you in designing the life you want to lead in the months ahead.
New Years resolutions shouldn't be:
All or nothing. Being too rigid in our goals is a good path to burn out. Binary thinking is the perfect breeding ground for our learned helplessness.
Based on external pressure. This is disingenuous and hard to stick to. What do YOU want?
Alone, they should have a plan for support.
Too vague or unrealistic.
Your resolutions or intentions should be:
Meaningful. They should have a clear 'why'.
Big picture, but with small, incremental actions.
Based on progress. You don't have to be perfect, be kind to yourself.
You might want to use the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound) structure to walk yourself through the plan.
Fun and flexible.
I see the new year as an opportunity to consider habits and behaviours (new, or reinforcing existing) that build to you values. Rather than attempting to reinvent yourself in one fell swoop, what small decisions can build into the life you want to lead?
And a final note, if the idea of doing this from January 1st still irks you, remember you can do this anytime. Everyday is a good day to consider how our lives live up to our values.
Click below for a FREE handy pdf to get your reflection started.
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