Welcome 2021 We are ready for you
Happy New Year and Welcome 2021!
Fresh starts and new year resolutions - why do we wait until the new year to make change? Perhaps it is mind games and just because a new year gives us the opportunity to reset. And this new year, 2021, is one that we’ve all been waiting for. 2020 has shaken us up, brought loss, fear, sadness and frustration.
But 2020 has also taught us resilience, and provided the space to stop and take a breath and acknowledge what is important in life - the simple things, family, friends and slowing down.
These are the real benefits that this enforced slowing down has revealed to us.
I have seen in clinic that for some people the enforced restrictions has created space for learning and self-reflection, and some have been able to de-stress, enjoy working from home, and are actually more productive at home. And yet others have become acutely aware of their own need for the structure of a workplace, or the need for better balance between the two.
It is wonderful that the opportunity and space to have this personal insight has been provided (even if enforced), and to now be aware of your personal needs. Restrictions have shown employers that working from home is a viable option, and in many cases has eased the burden of juggling family and work life, and long commutes. There is no right or wrong, it is understanding yourself and your needs, and the new possibilities that have emerged.
But, let’s look at the resolutions and good intentions we set out for ourselves at the start of a new year.
There is nothing wrong with setting New Year resolutions, but I recommend choosing those resolutions mindfully, be realistic and show compassion for yourself.
Statistics show that new year resolutions are primarily focussed on better health and weight loss. Gyms, yoga studios and weight loss companies are gearing themselves up for new memberships and subscriptions. Resolutions may also be about personal goals - new job, new career, new study, and the start of a new year is an opportunity to reset behaviours and make change.
Those people that I see in Clinic and that use natural medicine for healing and wellness have made a resolution to take responsibility for their own health. They are searching for the right connection and healer to guide them on a path of better health. And it is in this regard I offer my simple 3 Steps that I apply in Clinic to support my clients to achieve their better health. Make your resolutions a reality, ensure they are long lasting and become all that you wish for yourself. Move forward out of inactivity….start small and know that you will get there.
Step 1
What is it you are wishing to achieve? - is it quantifiable? i.e is it a certain distance you want to be able to run/bike/swim? Number of classes attended at the gym/yoga? Number of kilos you wish to lose? Or perhaps a more holistic goal to take better care of yourself? Can you break your dream into manageable qualifiable steps?
Be realistic and establish an achievable time frame, and acknowledge that your dream will quite likely take hard work - time, energy and persistence. Visualising and owning that hard work is the first step to ensuring that you last longer than a day or a week on your new quest. It is more likely that when the first resistance to change is felt you will be ready for it. You can put your head down, brush the resistance aside and keep moving forward. Milestones help to make the end goal achievable. Set them out in your diary or journal - whether it be weight goals each month or a plan for achieving your new career path or job.
Step 2
How are you going to achieve your goal? What are you going to do that is different and how are you going to break habits that have prevented you from achieving your dreams in the past? This usually involves changing your old habits. Changing habits requires willpower, and willpower is like a muscle, it must be exercised and practised for it to work well. You must take the time to establish what you need to do and how you are going to break those habits. Set yourself up for success by working out your areas of weakness and what you are going to do that is different.
For example, if your goal is to remove a nightly glass of wine or 2 that you know is affecting your health, then have an alternative tasty refreshing drink (mineral water with lime and mint) at hand. If you have not thought this through then it is likely that at the end of the day your willpower will be at its lowest and you are less likely to to be able to hold out and break the old habit. If an alternative is on hand then you are more likely to succeed.
Step 3
What are your plans to maintain this new state of wellbeing, this new you? What you will do once you have achieved your goal. Have you considered and visualised your new life, lived it? Ensure that you acknowledge and celebrate your achievement. Now that you have reached your goal, you want to maintain this new you.
Finally, and most importantly before you begin the journey, make the time to be still - clarity will come and you will better understand your resolutions, dreams, goals and desires that are true to you. Now go for it - plan, work hard and achieve.