Improve your life

The first weeks of the new year are over. Make some time for a quick reflection. Ask yourself the question: how are you doing? If you had any new year’s resolutions, how is it going? Are you tired of the winter cold? Are you not ok? No worries, there is no right answer. Everything is ok. 

Many people start the new year with resolutions. Like I have said before, I don’t really believe in this. If it works for you, I am happy for you. But for most of us it doesn’t work. It can be caused because the resolutions are too big or too vague. Or we have a whole list of things we would like to change. If we ask so much of ourselves, there is a big chance we will fail. As for humans it’s difficult to change. 

Of course, if you want to see changes, you also need to work for it. Doing nothing is no option. But what can you do to make changes to improve your life? 

• Be kind to yourself and don’t see the new year as the only chance to make changes. See every day or even every moment as a new opportunity. Don’t punish yourself if things don’t go well. Just deal with it and move on. 
• Accept the flow of nature. Life always goes with ups and downs. There are days you feel great and there are days you feel sad and challenged. Sometimes things go well and sometimes not. Accept it. 
• Make a plan to work on the things you want to change. For example, if you want to get more exercise, make time for it in your agenda. Make a schedule: in the morning 30 minutes of yoga, during the lunch break a 30 minutes walk and before dinner core training of 5 minutes. And two times per week (Sunday and Wednesday) a work-out at the gym for 75 minutes (including cardio and strength training). Make it concrete and check what works for you in a week. 
• Start small. For example, if you hardly exercise, a plan with 30 minutes yoga, a walk of 30 minutes and core training of 5 minutes and two times per week going to the gym, is a big thing. So start small. Start with 10 minutes of yoga and add 5 minutes extra per week. The same for the other things. Start with one thing and if that works, you can add more things. Keep in mind: small changes are better than no changes. 
• There is always something to improve and it can be difficult if we have a whole wish list. Limit the things you want to change. For example, choose for more exercise, reading more and less screen time. Once a new habit is part of your daily life, you can choose something new. 
• Set boundaries. It is difficult to say ‘no’ to our loved ones and the people we work with. But saying ‘no’ to one thing is a ‘yes’ to something else. Choose a few things you want to change and stick with it. For example, if you want to get more exercise, block time in your agenda for these activities. Of course you can be flexible if something else happens, but make sure it’s not becoming a new habit to skip your exercise. Why is this time for yourself less important than other tasks? 
• Have fun! Don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s good that you want to improve yourself, but don’t lose yourself in this process. Be flexible, but stick to your plan. Don’t forget the reason why you want to make changes. It has to feel good and make you a better person, if it becomes a burden, it is not good. Find a way that works for you.