Some people love making new year’s resolutions every year. Other people think it’s a waste of time.
I’m in the former category. I love it!
Every year I reflect back on what I had hoped to achieve. Did I do it? If I didn’t, did I choose to focus on something else? Do I still want to achieve it? Was there anything stopping me and has that now been resolved?
It’s a very uplifting experience for me. It’s so easy to get bogged down with life and never stop to see how far you’ve come. This is my time to identify all I’ve accomplished and be proud of that. It allows me time to re-evaluate what I want out of life and see if my current actions are helping or harming my chance of success.
This year one of my resolutions was to walk up a munro (a mountain in Scotland). I didn’t manage it until September but wow what a feeling! A lot of hard work went into getting fit again after having a number of obstacles to overcome but I did it.
Another was to solo wild camp on a mountain. The day I chose was TORRENTIAL rain! The mud was half way up my calf and I couldn’t see a thing. The following morning….well….what can I say…it was worth it!
My other main one was to stay overnight in a bothy (a Scottish mountain hut). This hasn’t happened this year and that’s ok! I stopped and had lunch in one and loved it. I’m one step closer …maybe next year will be the year…who knows!
New year’s resolutions keep me focused. They let me reset my course and keep moving me closer to what I want out of life. They encourage me to get out of my comfort zone and try new experiences.
Good luck! Contact me if you need support or guidance.
Written by Julia Donald at Cognitive Vitality Psychotherapy in Inverness.