Thoughts on New Year's resolutions

 

As we’re halfway through January already, how are your 2023 resolutions progressing?

I read on Forbes that instead of putting pressure on ourselves to achieve various resolutions, it’s far better to review the year just past, and decide on what good habits we’ve developed that we would like to keep.

I’m by no means an expert in this area, but here are some of the habits I developed last year which I hope you find useful or inspiring.

1. Learning a new skill. I started volunteering with NZBWN last year without any prior experience in social media. Writing social media posts for an organisation is very different to when it is your own personal feed. It was scary and tricky at the start, but I’m glad I stuck with it. I plan on taking pottery classes this year.

2. Remembering to look up when I feel down. I went through some rough times last year. I learned I could find joy by looking up: to see the sun, admire the blue sky, or listen to the happy chirping of birds.

3. Leaving my phone far from my bedside. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I can’t help but look at my phone even during the middle of the night when I happen to be awake for a few minutes. My sleep improved immensely after I left my phone well out of reach.

4. Have quality ‘me’ time. I’m talking about non screen time, even if it is only ten minutes. Time to spend by yourself, for yourself, doing something that you enjoy. I enjoy writing in my journal and baking. Both times I can reflect on my day or my week.

5. Setting healthy boundaries with people who are unhealthy to my wellbeing. This is a tough one, but it is necessary.  A friend always used to say “friendships last for a reason, a season, or a lifetime”. That made my choice of parting ways with a difficult friend easier, although the tricky part was working out how to depart in peace.