Setting New Year’s intentions with ease

The festivities have passed, and the busy season is coming to a close. The time has come to sit down and set positive intentions for the year ahead. We will be with you all the way, to aid in improving your health and reaching your wellness goals.

However, we want to help you avoid the trap that we can all fall into from time to time. Getting caught up in all the possibilities can lead us to try to overhaul everything in our lives, all at once. This can create an unrealistic and demanding standard, which quickly becomes overwhelming. Instead of the motivation and inspiration we were hoping for, our resolutions become an added source of stress.

Here are our suggestions to help you set achievable goals for 2023.

1. Start with your values. Taking some time to think about what is actually important to you in your life can help guide you to set goals which are meaningful to you. This can serve as motivation when times inevitably get hard and you want to give up.

2. Try reframing as intentions, not resolutions. Of course, we all want to achieve everything we set out to, but sometimes life gets in the way. A little gentleness can allow us to be more flexible, and not beat ourselves up when things don’t go exactly as planned.

3. Don’t try to change everything at once. This is setting yourself up for failure – you’re only human, after all. Choose between one and three new habits to work on and focus on doing them as well as possible.

4. Break your goals down into quarterly, monthly and weekly targets. A big goal is only achieved through taking the next small step, so work out the details now and you’ll be on the path to success.

5. Try to avoid the comparison game. Everyone is on their own journey – even the most advanced person was a beginner once. Do what works for you and be proud of it.

6. Build on a habit that you already have established. Want to be more mindful? Take five minutes with your morning coffee to meditate. Put your gym clothes right beside your bed so you can change into them as soon as you get up. Make things as easy as possible to add into your life.

7. Build reflection into your goals. An hour at the end of every month to assess your progress, to check if it is still aligned with your values, and to adjust your course if necessary, can work wonders in keeping you on the right path.

8. Find your tribe. Everyone can benefit from guidance, help and support, so don’t be afraid to reach out if you find it difficult to maintain a new habit.

9. Finally, practise being gentle with yourself. You are already doing more than you give yourself credit for. Why don’t you try setting a new intention to list all the things you are doing well each day, and the good things in your life?

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We are so excited to go on this wellness journey with you –let’s see where the year takes us!