Every new year, I sit and think about my aims for the year. Every single year there is this pressure to set this enormous goal and what you’re going to achieve and how suddenly, you are going to become a whole new person. Like from December 31st to the 1st of January, you are going to wake up and the person you were yesterday is a distant memory.  If that is what you are into, it is fine - if it works for you then go for it. But for me the whole "new year, new you" doesn’t quite do it. I like the opportunity for a fresh start. I am all for that - having a fresh slate and a new opportunity to go for what you want. But, this idea that because it is a new year that suddenly, you’re going to completely transform, is not for me.

A particular time of the year has never motivated me to all of a sudden drastically change everything. It is nice to think that with a new year suddenly everything you wanted to change from last year will miraculously be different. But, usually, this isn’t the case and it means that by the end of January, we’ve forgotten all about our goals and are feeling a little deflated. The similar story that seems to happen every year where we start of super motivated, but run out of fuel halfway through.

This is why when new year rolls around, I don’t put any pressure to suddenly transform into a whole new person. I reflect on the past year and I make some goals. But, everything without the stress of being a completely different person. I am a believer that small steps are the way to go - you can’t expect to change something you might have been doing for months from one moment to the other. That is why I see New Years resolutions with huge goals or lots of goals as an ideal - something you can aspire to in the long run, but shouldn’t feel you need to achieve immediately. New Years should be a chance to get ready for the rest of the year and make some positive change, but shouldn’t be filled with so many expectations that will worry you and exhaust you rather than help you. 

So what am I taking into 2020? The opportunity of a fresh slate for sure and the chance to work on things that excite me, but no pressure of drastic changes. Bit by bit, breaking it down because there really is no rush. Setting the goals you want to set no matter how big or small, but realising that huge ones are an ideal that need to be broken down and it’s okay if you don’t achieve it overnight. It’s okay if you even don’t achieve it by the end of the year - because small progress is still progress.

Happy new year and may 2020 be your year.

Help keep me going 🙂