Fabulous February ... The New January!!

Remember in my January blog when we spoke about how important it was to ease yourself into the year and not put yourself under pressure?  Well, I was talking with a friend recently and she was feeling a bit down on herself because she was feeling a bit out of control with life and not able to do some of the things she'd planned to do during January.  "Hey, don't worry" I told her, "let's make February the new January"!

It's ok if things didn't quite go to plan for you in January, that was exactly the point I was trying to make in my previous blog.  January is about testing the water, starting to think about what you want to do over the course of the next few months but maybe not putting them into action yet.

So, now is the perfect time during February to up the ante a little bit, let's take a few more baby steps so we are ready to emerge all guns blazing ready for the start of Spring in March.

Let's do some reflection on January:

• What did you find particularly difficult?

• Were you still eating all the Christmas food yet had planned to start some healthier eating habits?

• Was the weather bad and put a damper on your outdoor fitness plans?

• Were you planning a bit more of a positive start at work and it ended up being the same old sh*t?

• Did the dark nights make you feel more like putting your PJ's on and watching TV rather than using the time to learn something new?

Let's think about what you need to do to make some improvements:

10 minutes - that's what you need, 10 tiny minutes to make progress.

Say whaaat!!!  Yup, it's true.

Whether you use those 10 minutes in the morning, by getting up 10 minutes earlier, or in the evening, by taking 10 minutes after work before starting something else ... the choice is YOURS.

For example:

• Use your extra 10 minutes in the morning to:

• Make a healthy breakfast - you'll be less inclined to eat rubbish the rest of the day.

• Meditate - it will set you off on the right track for the day by creating a positive mindset.

• Exercise - you'd be surprised what you can get done in only 10 minutes, whether it's cardio, strength or simply some yoga or stretches.

• Use your extra 10 minutes in the evening to:

• Plan for the next day - carry over your 'to do' tasks, write down anything else that needs doing, set out your clothes for the next day or any other small tasks to finish off the day and set yourself up for tomorrow.

• Do some learning - read a few pages of a book, do a 10 minutes session on Babbel if you're learning a new language.

• Exercise - if you're not a morning person then do your exercise now.

Sounds ridiculously easy doesn't it?  That's because it is!  10 minutes is absolutely nothing out of your day and can make a HUGE difference.  Here's the best thing, throughout February, DO NOT do anymore than the 10 minutes.  Don't start thinking 'well, I've only done 10 minutes so I'm going to do a bit more'.  Noooo, you'll start feeling overwhelmed again.  Stick to the 10 minutes, see the improvements, build up those feel good vibes and then we'll go one step further in 'Marvellous March'.

'Commit to consistency and do everything with kindness'

#2022