Are you making New Year's resolutions?
Many good intentions fail in January. This is because we often make our intentions too vague and because we are too busy with the end goal, but not with the way to get there. There is a way to keep your good intentions. We will tell you all about it in this article.
Formulate your intentions using the SMART method.
Maybe you already know this? If not, here it is again in short. Formulate your intentions:
S - specific (specific)
M - measurable
A - achievable (reachable)
R - relevant (relevant)
T - time-bound
Below we give you 5 ideas and show you how you can use them to have your best year ever.
1. Walk 20 minutes every day
Do you want to feel healthy and fit? Research shows that resolutions concerning our health are made the most. However, consistent exercise also appears to be the most difficult to maintain. Start by walking for 20 minutes every day. Preferably at a fixed time: perhaps right in the morning, or take a short walk during lunch. The health benefits of walking every day are enormous. Of course, you can always do more, but you don't have to. Keep it manageable for yourself.
*You can also join our FREE ONLINE SPORTS SESSIONS made possible by Xtravaganza Personal Training! Start your 2022 with more movement: Click here .
2. Schedule time with friends and family
We have started living more online with all of us and because of that it can happen that we see some friends and family less. Everyone is busy and the days go by. Make an appointment with each other for a monthly family zoom. Or take a walk with friends once a month and take a large thermos of coffee and something tasty with you. Social contact is important and it helps if we simply have that planned in our agenda.
3. More sustainable living
This is one of those resolutions that you really need to sit down for. Most of us find it important to live more sustainably. But how do you make this resolution specific and measurable? That will be different for everyone, depending on your own wishes and needs and what you are already doing. We will give you a few ideas that you can build on:
- Turn the heater down 1 degree from what you're used to. Hurray for being able to wear that sweater knitted by grandma.
- Stop eating meat - or start small by scheduling a meat-free day twice a week.
- Only buy Fairtrade products and Rainforest Alliance certified or climate neutral certified coffee. In our webshop you can find these quality marks in the descriptions of our coffees. There are more and more!
4. Start a new hobby or learn a new skill
Will this be the year you learn a new language? Learn how to become a real barista and surprise your friends the next time they come for coffee. Or maybe you start painting or learn to play the guitar. Doing new things keeps our minds young and makes us happy. Again, we recommend: keep it specific and measurable. Set aside one or two evenings per week and focus on the process. Maybe you can take up the hobby together with your family members. Maybe you will suddenly meet all kinds of new people (online) who are doing the same thing. Surprise yourself with what is possible.
5. Keeping a gratitude journal
Research shows that when people take a moment each day to reflect on the things they are grateful for, they feel happier on average. It may sound a bit vague to you, but it really works! Buy yourself a nice notebook and write down three things you are grateful for each day, for example before going to bed. Maybe you had a nice conversation with a friend. Maybe you are grateful that it did not rain. Or maybe you are grateful that you had a particularly delicious cup of coffee today ;)
