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Lose weight. Get fit. Cut down on alcohol. Work harder. These are the typical New Year’s resolutions that we make on January 1, to get ourselves onto a healthier path after a festive season typically filled with gluttony and sloth.

But despite our best intentions, the statistics are bleak – around 80% of New Year’s resolutions bite the dust by the second week of February. However, the fact remains that the start of a new year is a good time to look closer at our habits, goals and intentions to ensure that we are investing our energy where it truly matters.

The trick to making resolutions stick is to root them in self-love and make sure they are aligned with your deeper held values, beliefs and sense of purpose. In 2022, ditch punitive resolutions that leave you feeling stressed and instead focus on the bigger picture by implementing these 5 New Year’s resolutions that will help you move forward and develop into the best version of yourself.

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1. Plan ahead

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Have you heard the saying a goal without a plan is just a wish? We’re all for following your dreams but the path there will be much smoother if you break down your vision into smaller, achievable goals. For instance, if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to write a book, set yourself a target of writing 500 words a day. Then break it down even further by planning when and where you are going to write and structure your day accordingly.

According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, the results we achieve have more to do with the systems we follow than the goals we set ourselves. For an aspiring writer, it is the commitment to the process of writing every day that will determine the progress and, ultimately, result in a completed book.

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2. Limit distractions

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We live in an interconnected world of constant distractions where texts, emails, social media are vying for our attention at any given moment. Research shows that the average person’s attention span is now shorter than a goldfish’s, having fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to only eight seconds today. In comparison, scientists estimate that a goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds.

This myriad of distractions are not only having an adverse effect on our productivity levels, they are also increasing our stress levels and lowering our moods. Many of us start our days with the best of intensions only to find that the ten minutes we intended to spend checking emails and newsfeeds have turned into two hours.

If distractions are getting in the way of your tasks, here are some actions you can take to strengthen your concentration levels:

  • When you feel your attention dwindling, work through the discomfort and force yourself to keep going for 5 more minutes.
  • Use a timer and work in 25-minute blocks with a 5-10 minute break between each block.
  • ‘Eat the Frog’ and tackle your hardest, most important task first thing in the morning.
  • Don’t multitask. Focus on one thing at a time and give it your full attention.

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3. Change up your routine

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Generally speaking, routines are a good thing. They encourage us to stay organised and give a sense of purpose to our days. In times of uncertainty our routines can also help ground us and be a source of comfort and stability. During the first lockdown, my morning routine soothed my anxiety and provided an anchor around which I could structure the rest of my day.

While having a daily routine can help us be more productive and focused on our goals, bad habits can also become an automatic part of our day-to-day patterns. As part of your 2022 New Year’s resolutions, try to pinpoint any habits that are holding you back from achieving your goals.

If you’re determined to make 2022 the year you find a new job or bag a promotion, ask yourself what you could do differently to achieve that goal. Perhaps some of the time you spend scrolling through social media or watching the latest series on Netflix, could be invested in learning a new skill or sprucing up your CV.

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4. Invest in yourself

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If you do only one thing this year, let it be to stop comparing yourself to others and instead focus on investing in yourself. Most of us tend to compare our weaknesses with others’ strengths, meaning that we constantly come up short in the comparison game. Research shows that the happiest people are those who focus their efforts on improving themselves and use their own accomplishments as a frame of reference to track progress.

All too often, investing in ourselves falls low on our list of priorities and becomes something that we put off until we have more time, money or motivation. But unless we want to stand still, learning has to be a lifelong process where the journey is as important as the end destination.

Learning new skills and developing ourselves enriches our personal and professional lives and helps us grow into the best that we can be. Taking the time to invest in yourself will give you a sense of accomplishment that can transform your mindset, confidence and motivation.

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5. Be kind to yourself

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Show yourself compassion if you make a mistake or fall short of your expectations. Often we are own harshest critics and speak to ourselves in ways that we would never talk to someone we love and respect.

Celebrate your milestones, such as getting a job interview or plucking up the courage to ask for a raise, even if the end result is not what you had hoped for. Using self-criticism as a way to motivate yourself not only ignores all your strengths and accomplishments, it also increases the chances that you will give up at the first hurdle.

Striving to be your best self is not the same as putting pressure on yourself to be perfect. It is possible to accept and love yourself for who you are while still recognising that there are areas you want to improve. Learning to enjoy the journey, approaching challenges with curiosity and building the resilience to deal with setbacks will help you live in the present and find long-term contentment.

Regardless of what your New Year’s resolutions are, we would love to help you move towards them and empower you to be the best version of yourself in 2022 and beyond. To find out more about our group and one-to-one courses, send an email to hello@thebritishschoolofexcellence.com or call us on +44 (0) 203 375 1675.

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