New Year, New Start?

Another year rolls over and the media are full of resolutions. It often seems like everyone is on the same ride, thinking and doing the same as everyone else. It can be heady, the feeling of being swept along with the rest of humanity. Or it can seem scary, full of FOMO and doubt.

Most years I have joined in with the resolution thing. Writing lists. Making plans. Some of them last into February, some struggle to make it to the 2nd of January! I love writing lists but hate sticking to what I have 'promised' or resolved. If I look back through previous blog posts from the beginning of January I find lots of things I 'promised' I would do and very few made it further than that.

This year I thought about doing the same, writing a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2018. Yet I was beset with doubt. What is the point of doing that? I know based on past experience and my own character that I am great at saying it but really bad at doing it. For example, I promise to go to the gym more often. I even make a schedule in my head of when I will go - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday perhaps. I visualise putting my gym kit on, walking to the gym with some inspirational music playing, using the equipment and strolling (staggering) home all aglow and virtuous. But I don't actually do it! It lives in my imagination but is never transferred into the real world. So why pretend I am going to do something which I know I am probably not. Who am I fooling?

So for a change, January 1st will pass without me bothering it with unrealistic resolutions. I have decided that this year I will be kind to myself. No pressure, no expectations, no resolutions. Just a whole year of kindness. Now if that means I pop to the gym when I feel like it then great, if it means I don't go at all one week, also great. If it means I eat a biscuit when I have a cup of tea, lovely, it may also mean that I pass on the biscuit when I don't fancy one. But there are no rules, no resolutions, no depriving myself of the things I want in life.

I think I may be able to stick to this one ...