Did you know that the 17th January is marked as the day where people are most likely to give up on their New Year Resolutions? I think it’s time you should ditch new year resolutions for powerful habits to make your year start off in the most positive way possible. There have been so many studies on the impact of setting resolutions. One conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton found that 23% of people gave up on their resolution after just one week. And only 19% of individuals are actually able to stick to their goals in the long term.

Why You Should Ditch New Year Resolutions for Powerful Habits

In fact its more than likely that 64% of resolutions set will be abandoned after one month and why 17th January is around about the time when we just start to trip over those resolutions. I am all about ditching new years resolutions for powerful positive habits to take us forward and I want to share some inspiration with you today.

Ditch New Year Resolutions for Powerful Habits

It is all too easy in the New Year to feel pressured to set lots of resolutions:

- to lose x amount of weight

- to give up alcohol

- to hit the gym everyday

This is not the way to set yourself up for success - it is too much pressure to put yourself under. Particularly given the unique challenges of 2020, this is not the time to make big, bold changes as we move into what hopefully is a more positive year.

In fact I’ll put it out there that I am “anti New Years Resolutions”. Instead, my passion is encouraging you to add small, sustainable habits to your life that work for you, and help you build a healthy body, mind and soul.

It is about going gently and being kind to yourself. I've got you. Together we can prioritise your wellbeing. This year, I want to encourage you to flip how you view things. Rather than looking to suddenly eliminate negative habits, why not focus on adding in small positive habits to your daily routine. So rather than trying to give up alcohol or caffeine, why not try to add in some nourishing drinks instead. For instance hot water and lemon first thing in the morning does wonders for you. Rather than adding a slice of lemon, squeeze the whole lemon into a glass of hot water and down it in one! Trust me you get used to it and it you'll feel awesome afterwards! There are a whole host of health benefits; it will aid a sore throat, ease digestion, and flush out toxins. It will also wake you right up, and leave you feeling energised and ready for the day.

Building Powerful positive habits

I also want to remind you that taking time for a pamper session is not the be all and end all of self care. It is a lovely part of it, but it should be part of a larger range of ways that you sustain and nurture yourself. It is so much more, it is about nourishing yourself everyday. Taking time for you to build a toolkit of positive, sustainable habits that help you feel the best version of you, and function at your best.
It is about putting strategies in place that will enable you to thrive and reset, rather than waiting until you crash and burnout before considering taking time for you. If you would like to learn more about the importance of self care, and how to build positive, powerful habits you can read more in my book Self Care For The Seasons.

The only consistent, sustainable way to grow self care habits is to start small. When something is tiny it is easier to do. Habits are like recipes, when it comes to cooking, if the results aren't to your liking you can change the ratios and fiddle with the ingredients. You can do the same with your self care routine and habits.

Test out different tips from my self care survival kit over on Instagram and see what works for you, adapt them to meet your needs.

I am here to support you. Let's chat about self care, and what might work for you. Send me a message!

I am encouraging you to go gently this month. Now is not the time to try to implement, big bold change. but rather take small, sustainable steps to add little positive habits to your daily life.

There will be no persuasion to diet or give up a specific food group here. Instead I would like to flip the way you view healthy eating. Rather than focusing on denying yourself things, why not concentrate on adding in extra nourishment and goodness?

Try adding in a new fruit or vegetable to your diet every day for a week. There are so many options out there, from jackfruit to guava, from celeriac to jicama. How many have you tried? A quick google will reveal a whole cornucopia of recipes and ideas of how to incorporate something new into your cooking. Let me know how you get on. What is the most unusual fruit or vegetable that you enjoy eating?

Create Your Own Jar Of Awesomeness

One of my all time favourite ways to switch the mood from restrictive new year resolutions to positive habits and mindfulness is to create your own jar of awesomeness. It’s a great habit to get into and I want to share with you today a lovely tradition that you may want to adopt for yourself this year.

Do you often forget all the wonderful, fun and interesting things that happen to you and that you are grateful for?

A Jar of Awesomeness is the answer:

💜 Find a jar, decorate it if you like.

💜 Every time something nice or awesome happens, write down enough that when you read it, it will trigger the memory again, and pop the paper in the jar.

💜 I like to do it on different coloured pieces of paper so it looks pretty.

💜 Write down anything big or small that makes you smile or warms your heart.

Every time you have a tough day, open you jar up and pull a piece of paper out at random to remind yourself of happier times, and to stop the negative moment affecting you.

It is a great way to boost mindset and remember positive memories.

Will you create your own jar of awesomeness today?

For powerful positive self care tips and inspiration follow my self care journey over @selfcaresurvivalkit on Instagram or sign up to my free monthly newsletter The Self Care Survival Kit.

Why You Should Ditch New Year Resolutions for Powerful Habits