Reset your New Year resolutions this winter

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Reset your New Year resolutions this winter

Remember those ambitious resolutions you made in January? Chances are you’ve let some of them fall by the wayside. Here’s how to reassess which of them still make sense, let go of the ones that don’t, and get the motivation to make good on your promises.

Reassess your resolutions

Let’s revisit your 2019 resolutions. How are you progressing, and are they still appropriate? Be completely honest with yourself. It may be time to let go of one or two of your goals, if they no longer make sense or are ambitions you no longer desire – and that’s totally okay.

Not all neglected resolutions need to be abandoned, though. Sometimes you just need to shift your approach.

Break larger goals into smaller chunks, planning out each month with a different target. For example, if your overall resolution was to start a small art business by the end of the year, give yourself a sub-goal for every four weeks. 

Dedicate a couple of months to upskilling with a course in business, then move onto gathering supplies and creating spreadsheets over the following months. Keep this up, and by the end of the year you’ll start to see some tangible results from your hard work and persistence.

Woman writing at table.

Adjust to your life changes

At the mid-year mark, life can look pretty different than it did six months ago. If your New Year resolutions seem like a distant memory, perhaps it’s time to adapt them to your current reality.

If you’ve moved house and are living in a new area, make a mid-year resolution to try a new local restaurant or cafe once a week and broaden your new community.

Use a relationship status change to your advantage. If you’re newly available, use this adjustment period to propel yourself into something completely different. Commit to learning a new skill like indoor rock climbing or pottery, or start saving up for a trip abroad to a place you’ve always dreamed of visiting. 

If you’re embarking on a new relationship, include your significant other in a social resolution, like checking out a local theatre or comedy club in your quest to explore the local arts scene.

Even if your life hasn’t seen any drastic change in the last half year, the seasons have definitely shifted. Going for a neighbourhood run twice a week may have seemed like an enjoyable goal during the warmth of January, but pounding the pavement sounds less enticing now that the weather has turned. 

For fitness-based resolutions, use the cold winter season to switch to some indoor training. Local studios sometimes offer package deals on group classes, likes hot yoga or Pilates. Or try something new and different, like Krav Maga, a self-defence system taught in local studios and martial arts schools.

Make time for self-care

Even if you’ve been on track with your resolutions, the middle of the year is a great time to pause and reassess your mental wellbeing to avoid burnout. Be kind to yourself during these dark winter days and consider some mid-year resolutions of a more personal nature.

Technology has made it more convenient than ever to keep in touch with friends and family from afar, but in-person contact and interaction can be uplifting for the soul. Meet a good friend for dinner or a coffee once a fortnight, and relish in catching up face-to-face instead of on your social media profiles.

You may not even realise it, but clutter at home can also be mentally overwhelming. Give yourself a weekend to do some tidying around the house to reinvigorate yourself for the second half of 2019.

Most importantly, remember that any month of the year can be the time for a new start. It’s not too late to achieve what you set out to.