"Next year I'll stop smoking." "Next year I'll be nicer to people." "Next year I will start going to the gym." "Next year I'll stop eating crisps." "Next year I'll learn earlier for my exams and not the night before." "Next year I'll spend more time with my family." "Next year I'll go out more often."
Sounds familiar?
Again, a new year is about to start and everyone makes new year resolutions. Stop smoking, living healthier, stop complaining. Stop the negative things to become a better person. And this time, it'll definitely work out, wont it?
We always think about things that aren't the way they should be. Negative circumstances, bad characteristics, unwanted habits. Therefor we already show before the new year started what we can't achieve, what we can't do, who we ain't are, what hasn't worked out. But is that motivating? To show yourself before the new year has started what a demotivated, grumpy, bad, inconsistent person you are? Not only we do this before the new year starts; but also at the beginning of a new month, week or year of our life. On Monday we'll start a new diet and next month we'll start eating less junk food.
But we have to start from the 1.!
I think we should concentrate on the things we already achieved. Things that worked last year, last month, last week or yesterday. Who am I? And not: Who have I failed to be and desperately want to become? You should start seeing yourself where you are at this very moment and begin there. If you have eaten junk food throughout the whole year then it will be hard to change that over night.
Changes take their time; until the new habits become a part of the routine some work and discipline is needed.
I want to begin, where I am at the moment. What did I achieve this year?
2015...
o... I slowly started being vegetarian and it works for me. o... I started running regularly and I improve everyday. o... I started going to the gym and I love it. o... I traveled a lot. I got to see Italy, Amsterdam, Andalusia and many cities in Germany. o... I improved my sleeping habits by getting up earlier. o... I became more organised and improved my school performance.
My 2015 has been really successful and even though I am not the person I am 100 per cent happy with, I am a few steps closer.
I got to meet a lot of new people , decided who I want to keep and who is bad for me. I argued, loved, discussed, got upset. Started new projects with a lot of motivation and threw them away, made important decisions and most of all: lived.
Live never is perfect, so are we. It is highly demotivating to concentrate on the things that don't work. Let's start the year with positive thoughts, warming memories and nice words. For others but also for ourselves.
I wish you a wonderful and successful new year! A year with memories, brave decisions, boring couch-evenings, emotions and interesting people.
Goodbye!
Paula Charlotte.
