4 tips for navigating the New Year
Stay on track & set yourself up for success in 2025 with 4 simple tips
Also, guys…🍿
The New Year can be a tough time to navigate - we’re bombarded by the latest trends via mainstream or social media, companies advertising expensive supplements or restrictive regimes promising life-changing results, and a pressure to live up to unattainable standards.
So I’ve written this piece to cut through the noise for you and help keep it simple! These 4 tips are designed to stop you from feeling overwhelmed and prevent you from contributing to Quitter’s Day; the second Friday in January when people are most likely to give up on their New Year’s Resolutions.
1. Don’t over-commit
This is all about setting realistic goals. Set the bar too high and you’re also setting yourself up for failure. Once you’ve outlined your goals, specify them. Example:
I will go to the gym more.
Becomes..
I will go to the gym three times a week.
Becomes..
I will go to the gym at 7am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The more specific a goal is, the harder it is to deviate from, and scheduling it in a planner helps you to view it as more of an appointment, meaning that you’re less likely to bail - and that brings me to my next point.
2. Invest in a good planner
The more organised I am, the less stressed I am - not exactly groundbreaking information. But my key to staying organised is by religiously using a paper planner.
Of course I use my phone calendar - largely to set early alerts for events - but there’s something about seeing both my day and my whole week on paper in front of me that makes a big difference.
I’m a big-picture person, so I like to use my Sunday to plan out my week ahead. I fill out my tasks for each day, including my online work, coaching hours, client check-ins and training slots.
Because I can be terrible for starting a task and not finishing it before I begin another, I go into each day of my planner and I list or number my tasks in order or priority. This ensures I tick-off a task in full before I embark on a new one.
Unfortunately I do still get excited about buying new stationary so choosing a new planner is an exhilarating experience for me, and as I don’t need a new one at the moment, I’m going to live vicariously through you.
There are lots of planners available but my favourite is this Clever Fox Planner from Amazon. These planners come in beautiful colours, they’re well-designed and they don’t break the bank. I discovered them a few years ago at university and have used this planner ever since.
If this one isn’t to your taste, then I’d also suggest taking a look at the following planners:
3. Habit-stacking
I first became aware of habit-stacking after reading James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits. This is the process of stacking a new behaviour on top of an old one - or what I relate to as stacking a less enjoyable habit on top of a preferred one.
A good example for me would be stretching. I don’t particularly love stretching but it’s very important to my lifestyle and to my training. I do enjoy watching Netflix in the evening though, so I try to pair the two together. If I stretch for 10 minutes during TV time, then it gets done and it makes the task more appealing for me.
Another example (and recommendation!) is using my SAD lamp. I get a bit down during the winter months, and with research suggesting that SAD lamps can help to alleviate these symptoms, I’ve started including this in my morning routine.
I don’t mind this habit at all but I pair it with something else so that I remember to have my 10-15 minutes of extra light! If I have a bike session then I set the light up on the table next to me whilst I warm-up, or I use it whilst I eat breakfast.
If you feel a bit low during this time of year and want to try using a SAD lamp, I recommend this Lumie one which a friend gave to me.
4. Learn from last year
This is quite a big one. Take some time to review your 2024 and have a think about what you would like to do more or less of this year.
Did you put too much energy into pleasing other people or holding onto one-sided relationships? Did you find a new hobby that you enjoyed and want to make more time for? Perhaps you want to stop talking about visiting that country you’ve always wanted to explore and instead book the tickets?
Once you’ve identified the things you want to do differently, it’s time to form a plan of action.
I’m going to preface this first example by saying that I’m not claiming to be some kind of agony aunt, I’m simply sharing this based on my own experience:
The one-sided friendship. Do you feel like it’s always you initiating the conversation or asking to meet up? Do you help your friend when they ask but they’re not around when you need a hand? Feeling like a friendship isn’t reciprocated is a really tough pill to swallow.
If you’re fed up of feeling drained and disappointed from trying to sustain this connection, then it’s time to make a decision. If someone wants you in their life, they will make that effort. Yes, people are busy and sometimes that balance can slip - sometimes one of you may be making a bigger effort for a while - but it’s not forever and you’re still there for each other.
If it’s just you trying to hold on, and it’s been this way for a while, it might be time to let go. Not everyone needs confrontation or closure - it’s whatever makes you feel most at peace. You have the option to message a distanced friend to tell them how hurt you feel before letting go. You can also go quietly, after accepting that you’ve grown apart. Whatever lets you move on.
A slightly more cheerful example is making a plan of action for traveling to that country at the top of your bucket list. Maybe you need to book time off work, maybe you need to save up. Form a plan - for example, maybe you’ll put £200 into your savings every month for the next 5 months until you’ve saved up enough for plane tickets.
The key message I’m trying to get across here is: less talk, more action - a concept that I’ll be embracing in 2025.
Thanks for reading!
Loz x