New Year New You

Every year, on 1st January, millions of us pledge to put the festive indulgences behind us and change our lives for the better. Yet every year nearly 80 per cent of us fail to stick to our New Year’s resolutions. Why?

Most people aim too high, pledging to eat healthier, get more exercise, stop smoking. But these laudable goals are long term commitments that require fundamental lifestyle changes that are hard to maintain once the New Year hangover has dissipated.

Perhaps the answer is to choose something that requires a one-off burst of energy. For example, book all those appointments you’ve been putting off - visit your GP for a check up; have the nurse take your weight, height and blood pressure; research how to properly self-examine your breasts or testicles; go to the optician for a sight and hearing tests. And while you’re there, make a follow-up appointment. Get all that done in January and you can sit back smugly for the rest of the year, mission accomplished.

Another approach is to make a New Year’s resolution to try something new every month. With the huge range of places to eat out in Moseley and Kings Heath, it’s easy to regularly sample a different cuisine or exotic dish. Perhaps you could explore your creative side at one of the craft workshops run by People in Kings Heath, Guthrie & Ghani in Moseley or the Victorian Tea Rooms in Kings Heath Park. Maybe it’s time to try out the crazy golf course in Cannon Hill Park, or sample a yoga class at the Buddhist Centre in Moseley, or simply go for a stroll along the canal.

This January don’t set yourself up to fail - make a New Year’s resolution that you can definitely achieve. Then maybe al those ongoing diet and lifestyle changes will also be a little easier to maintain.

Published in My Moseley and Kings Heath, December 2014.