Never pursuing dreams and ambitions
Working too hard and not making enough time for their families
Not telling precious people that they were loved
Not being true to themselves
Wasting years with the wrong person
Not having the courage to live truthfully
and not realising that happiness and success are always a choice
I don’t know about you but most people I speak to can identify with at least one or more of these regrets and somehow, this time of year is a really good time to remember the old adage that tells us that that life is not a dress rehearsal.
No matter how many times we learn the hard way that New Year resolutions are not an effective way to make changes in our lives, millions of us race to make them every year. We’ll lose that stone, exercise every day, spend more time with the people who matter to us or finally get that new job.
This year we can really do things differently and make those changes forever. Instead of the dreary ‘giving things up’ refrain what about choosing to do something new and positive instead. Join a running or walking group, learn to Salsa, join that writer’s workshop or anything that lets you see yourself differently. Make changes that are going to be part of your life forever.
If all this sounds like a reinvention of yourself, maybe that’s the aim of making really positive changes that are going to become a way of life.
There are some great tips that will support anyone who wants to do things differently. They may sound obvious but I am always surprised that we still don’t do them.
Firstly, write down those goals.. I hear people say all the time that they have just No Time for all that writing. Think about it though, no time to write means no time to make those changes and the benefit of writing things down and putting them somewhere that they can be seen… every day, can not be underestimated.
Secondly, choose wisely when you are spending time with other people. After all your mate from the smoking shed outside work isn’t going to be the ideal cheerleader for your new healthy approaches, and if the group who gather at the water cooler at work to moan every morning see you moving on it’s not going to make them feel great… Misery loves company.
Thirdly, see yourself achieving your goals, being that confident and healthy individual striding cheerfully through life knowing that you are worth it in the hair tossing way of that famous advert.
Finally, tell everybody that you know that you are making these wonderful and positive changes that this is the new you and don’t forget to talk as if they are already your habits. Maybe your friends and family will be so impressed that they’ll want to join you. Above all, wouldn’t it be great not to have those sad regrets?
Don’t agonise… orrganise!