It’s a New Year – Anything is Possible!

Hi Everyone,

Happy New Year to you all.

I hope you had a lovely Christmas and New Year period and had some time for relaxation.

The start of a New Year is always exciting as it comes with so much promise. We make plans for things we want to do, goals we want to achieve and places we might want to travel too. It also comes with resolutions that many of us make, only to have broken them by February.

I no longer make resolutions as I believe they put pressure on myself to achieve sometimes, unrealistic goals. How many times have we said we will lose weight, do more exercise or have more time off? Once the year swings into action, we very quickly forget the promise to ourselves and then feel guilty once we realise we haven’t made any change.

Instead, I now choose a word to describe how I want my year to be. This year my word is Magical, because that’s how I see the coming year. I have made notes of things I want to achieve this year in my health, business and personal life and I align them with my magical theme. I see great opportunities ahead and I am determined to make the most of them.

I also create a vision board so that I anchor my desires into reality. A vision board is a collection of photos that you cut out and stick onto a large piece of paper or cardboard. You include a photo of yourself because that’s what the board is about, and then add photos of things that you want to achieve e.g. meditation, wealth, travel, healthy eating etc. Be specific! Then, place the finished board in a prominent position so that you will see it regularly and be reminded of your goals and dreams.

Now it’s great to do this but you also need to take some action. As my theme for this year is magical, I need to take positive steps to bring the magic into everything I do. For my own health I am determined to have at least one day off totally for me. To make this happen, I have put this into my diary so that it is written down and I will follow through. I have also booked into a meditation course to enhance my relaxation. This is also in the diary.

I have plans for my business and I have started to take action on this. I went to a business planning workshop prior to Christmas and have pencilled in my plans for each month, the quarter and the whole year. Of course these are not set in stone but they give me a framework in which to plan and work. I also plan to have regular breaks and these are either booked in or written in my diary.

By setting actions, you help to make your plans more achievable. However allow for spontaneity and don’t feel that you can’t change things around. Have some fun and do what feels right for you and makes you happy.

So what are your goals for 2017? Is there something that you want to change about your life? Do you have a word that describes how your want your year to be? Once you have chosen a word, try and align each decision with that word. For example, if your word is ‘abundant’, look at the decisions you make on a day to day basis and ask if they make you  feel abundant. If not, what can you do to change things?

Take small steps but make sure you do take some, or nothing will change. Start slowly and implement the easy steps first. As you do things that make you feel good about yourself, you will feel more inclined to do more and tackle the harder steps. My ‘magical’ year involves honouring myself and my decisions and choosing to do only what is good for my health and happiness. I am getting better at saying ‘No’ to people and opportunities that don’t suit me. I love a glass of wine but only have one on occasion as I know it isn’t great for my health. I have a tendency to take on too much and try and do everything at once. This tends to make me feel overwhelmed so this year, I am pacing myself and giving myself more space.

Of course challenges may arise and life doesn’t always go as planned, but if you prioritise your needs as much as possible, you won’t feel angry or resentful if your plans occasionally change.

If you want to improve your health, write down all the ways in which you want this to change. If it’s more time for yourself, book in regular ‘me’ days. If you want to lose weight, start including healthier foods into your diet such as more fruit and vegetables, and cut down on sugar. Start an exercise regime that you love, even if it’s a walk around the block. Don’t see these changes as luxuries but as non-negotiable. Once you start doing them on a regular basis, they become the norm.

See this year as an opportunity to grow and live your life more in alignment with how you want to feel. If you so desire, choose a word to describe your year and start taking the steps to make your goals and dreams a reality.

Take care and let me know how you want to change.

Lots of love,

Judy xxx

Disclaimer: Please note that all information in this article is the opinion of the author and obtained through her research and knowledge. It is not meant to replace medical advice and a medical opinion should always be obtained for any health condition.