It's just another day after all ...

I'm late with publishing my blog this week as I had to prioritise other things this weekend, which leads me quite nicely into this week's topics.  First of all, I'd like to tie up the Xmas side of things and then talk a little bit about New Year.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke about the build up to Xmas and how easy it is to become overwhelmed at this time of year.  You can only do your best and can only focus on one thing at a time.  What really helps me is keeping some element of routine in my life.  They act like a safety net when I'm feeling like I'm in the midst of chaos.  It's very easy to forget about our usual routines at Xmas and, to some extent, that can be quite freeing.  The downside is that we can end up in a whirlwind of moving from one thing to the next without any purpose.  In my case, the one thing I do without fail is to stick to my exercise routine.  I may choose to do 10 mins yoga instead of a 10k run but for me, exercise is the 'grounding' element in my life, it's what I need to keep sane.  We all have different things but whatever yours is, make sure you keep doing it throughout this crazy period.

The topic of routines leads me onto the old age subject of 'New Year's Resolutions', which if you've read my previous years blogs, will know that this phrase makes me shudder.  I'm all for setting goals and objectives but hearing someone say "right, as from 1st January I'm going to run every day / cook healthy meals every day etc etc" makes me very sad.  There's nothing magical about 1st January, it's simply one day after 31st December and you're not going to turn into some highly motivated, super human individual overnight.  Of course, it's lovely to start a fresh new year with plans in place but you have to be realistic.

This is where routines come into play, so if you really do want to change something in your life next year, then why not start now.  Put the foundations in place before 1st January then it won't become a huge millstone around your neck with the pressure to perform.  Commit to consistency as consistency is the key to success but start off small.  Don't go in with all guns blazing and try to do something every single day, because the first time you miss doing that thing, you'll feel like you've failed.  YOU haven't failed, your system has failed.  Start off slow and commit to only one or two days per week and don't limit yourself to specific times/days, it's ok to be flexible.  

Another key factor to consider is to make your goal something enjoyable, if you feel like you should run but in reality you hate running, it's not going to happen.  Choose something that makes you happy and is worth putting the effort in.  Set yourself mini targets each week as it's the small, marginal gains that add up to the overall change.

I'm going to leave it here this week as, like everyone else, I have things to do, people to see and places to go.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my ramblings each week.  I'm taking a few weeks break and I'll see you in 2022 - eek!  Have an absolutely wonderful Xmas and New Year.

#2021