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Resolutions not required! - 3rd January 2024
I've always avoided New Year's Resolutions like the plague. I am the kind of person who is rather goal averse and the thought of having others present when I declare I am going to commit to new behaviour from 1st January AND maintain that for an entire year has always been just too daunting. I wonder, do you have these same reservations? If you do it doesn't necessarily mean you can't benefit from the fact that we have just arrived in a brand new year. Read on to find out how.
When you think about it, New Year is a completely man-made concept. It's only because we use calendars that we have this one day of the year that is THE first day of something new.
Time to turn over a new leaf
Are you familiar with this phrase? It's an idiomatic phrase which basically describes the actions of a person who wants to change their behaviour for the better. "Susan decided she would turn over a new leaf and stop eating chocolate in place of a decent meal."
You could say this phrase is the foundation for any New Year's Resolution. My stance though is that you can still turn over your own new leaf without having to make a resolution. This is a more subtle approach and to my mind far less stressful.
How to turn over a new leaf
I've been observing my own behaviour these last few days. Recently I've had some health challenges with my digestion and on 31st December (with no thought to the date) I dusted off my juicer that I've not used in ages. Interestingly I almost decluttered it a while ago, but something deep inside me knew that would not be in my best interests.
So on the morning of 31st December I made some healthy juice, I drank it and was reminded that I enjoy the taste. The next day I decided to do it again - then I realised that it was 1st January!
Here's the interesting part
Once I realised the date of that second juicing experience it suddenly felt significant. I realised that if I continued with this new habit of making one glass of juice every day I could potentially get to the end of the year having kept up this behaviour. It felt oddly encouraging. I had not set out on 31st December to make a resolution and stick to it. But having made a decision on 31st December that was in the best interests of my health I have been spurred on to keep it up, chiefly by the fact that it is new year. If I don't manage to do it every day I won't be beating myself up because I never really set out with that kind of mindset. This approach feels kinder and it also matters that nobody else will be checking up on me as might be the case had I made a resolution.
How can you apply this to your life?
I'm assuming you are reading this because at some level you know you need to do some decluttering. Whether that is home decluttering, head decluttering, or both. It might be the case that you have had this awareness for quite some time, but you've not taken any action as yet. The way I see it is that new year offers us a blank canvas. New year invites us to be kind to ourselves by forgetting what happened last year and creating a space for us to choose different behaviour with no recriminations, guilt or shame. The new year does not judge you, it simply offers itself as the opportunity for your partial re-invention. You get to choose what changes and because of the date on your calendar you will be inspired to appreciate that yes, you CAN change!
New year is perhaps like a fresh breeze blowing through your mind - it creates a kind of "what if?" feeling which contains a huge amount of positivity if you are open to it.
Jump on the New Year bandwagon!
What are you waiting for? Spring is often considered to be a good time to start decluttering, but that's a few months away here in the northern hemisphere. If you have been having feelings of disatisfaction with the contents of your home, or feeling overwhelmed in your head for quite some time, why not jump on the band wagon? What have you got to lose?
Don't forget, you don't have to do this alone. You can access my support in a variety of ways, from joining my free Private Facebook Group, Declutter, Release, Let Go, to booking a one hour coaching session with me via video connection. If you think you might be interested in a coaching session, please get in touch to arrange a complimentary 30 minute chat. Rest assured, no pressure from me whatsoever.
This January could be the start of something life changing . . . . .
Keywords: New year
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