5 Brilliant Motivational Tips for the New Year

It’s the end of another year. You’ve consumed more turkey, chocolate and alcohol in the last few days than you thought humanly possible. You’ve spent too much, not exercised enough, those bad habits you thought you’d cracked last year are back with a vengeance, and the house is a wreck. It’s time for a fresh start.

I never used to bother with New Year’s Resolutions. Being British (and therefore cynical about just about everything) I naturally assumed they were a pointless exercise. But I’ve been converted. This year I made New Year’s Resolutions about every six weeks (a few of them have stuck), and lapped up inspirational clichés and motivational quotes like I was making up for lost time.

You know why? Because I figured out that things change. It’s as simple as that. I used have this underlying assumption that nothing really changes, but now I see how ridiculous that is because things do change, literally all the time. And that means I can change if I want to.

So here you have it – my five brilliant top tips to inspire and motivate you for the New Year…

1. Recognise the limiting beliefs that are holding you back.

Very often, the biggest barriers to our own growth are the things we believe to be true about ourselves. Negative experiences growing up can create beliefs that affect our perception of ourselves for the rest of our lives unless we challenge them. What are the things you wish you could do but, for whatever reason, believe that you can’t? And how many of them are, when it really comes down to it, mostly in your head? Thoughts are powerful, but they’re only thoughts. Recognise your limiting beliefs for what they are and you’ve taken a giant step towards overcoming them.

2. Take the next step towards health and wholeness.

You’re not going to transform your life overnight. New Year’s Resolutions are far more likely to stick if they are realistic and manageable. “Be at the gym for 5.30am every morning” is probably not going to happen if you currently don’t go at all. But joining one new weekly exercise class just might. What’s your next step?

3. Be an active participant in your own life, not a passive observer.

When life isn’t going your way, it’s easy to feel like a victim. Rather than being in the driving seat of your life, you feel like you are being dragged helplessly behind as it veers and swerves off the road. You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can change how you respond to them. Take control! You always have more options than you think.

4. Make friends with failure.

Despite our best efforts, many of our bright ideas and ambitions will inevitably amount to nothing. That’s just what happens. So dust yourself off, take stock of what you’ve learned and move on to the next thing. Don’t be so afraid of failure that you never risk trying new things. If you feel like you’re constantly taking five steps forward and four steps back, you’re still moving forward.

5. Find a different perspective. It can change everything.

However dire your situation, there is always better way to look at it. So practise gratitude, listen to the stories of others, read more books. Widen your perspective. Whatever life hurls your way, changing your vantage point can make everything seem brighter.

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