Happy New Year 2023!

 It's been a while, I must admit. But it's 2023 now, and with that comes all the good resolutions. Mine being back at sharing with you guys all the thoughts, tips are anything mental related I could have. 

But first of all, I wish you all a very happy new year. I truly hope that 2023 will be a year full of beautiful experiences, that will led you to your own personal growth. But let's talk a bit about resolutions...

It's well knows, on the 1st of January, each year, millions of people start a new list of things they want to achieve that year. Having goals is a great thing to move forward. However, it is important to remain careful in the way we plan those goals. Most of the people choose hard or even unrealistic goals. Or at least, goals that are not achievable in a fast, efficient and easy way. 

"In 2023, I quit smoking."

"I will start working out 5 times per week."

"I will quit drinking."

"I'm gonna lose 10 kg."

All of those goals are great. However, they are most likely related to heavy habits you have built over the years. And changing a deep habit is no picnic. 

So what it is that you need to do to make sure you follow your resolutions?

First of all, don't get me wrong: using the new year to get an extra boost of motivation to help you reach your goals is a great idea! But, if you are targeting a heavy habit, it might be wise to divide this goal into several sub-goals that are easily achievable. Finally, and this is very important, you should give yourself a time scale for each of the sub-goals. The purpose here is to make sure you stay motivated, and that you will actually build a new sustainable habit. 

Let's take an example: "I will start working out 5 times a week". If you have never trained in your life, and on the 2nd of January, you start hitting the gym 5 times a week, you will eventually quit totally before the end of the month. Truth is that neither your body nor your mind are ready for this. Instead, you resolution could be "I want to improve my health by working out more this year, aiming for 5 times a week". Then, you could for instance decide to go to the gym once or twice a week in January and add one weekly session every month. It is said that we need about 21 days to build a new habit. But when it comes to sport, it is also important to listen to your body, in order to avoid physical injury that would counter balance all the mental effort you've put into this. But you got my point. 

This is true for any big resolution you might have for the new year. If you don't have any good resolution for the year to come, maybe you could think about three little things you would like to change in your life to feel better, to "be" better. Achieving tiny goals quite fast might motivate you to keep on growing later on.... 

In any case, remember one thing: you are worth, and there's nothing you cannot do. 

Happy new year to all of you.