Welcome to January… As you read this, you’re probably feeling shattered post Christmas and New Year festivities, and like you never want to eat cheese or drink anything alcoholic ever again. If so, it’s time to vamp up your routines and become that energetic, healthy and focused version of yourself you know you once were!

It’s not about setting unrealistic and unmanageable goals that are going to leave you feeling disheartened by January 30th. It takes a little more thought and work to figure out the things you really are able to achieve this year, so take a minute to pause and set your intentions for the year.

Start by reflecting on last year and the resolutions you set… Congratulations if you breezed through the year, being accountable for your actions and ensuring you didn’t slip off the band-wagon, but if you didn’t keep them up then why didn’t you? And how can you do things differently this time?

Remind yourself of the specific goal and the reason it didn’t work. If it’s something you’re still keen to accomplish, try and tweak it to fit your lifestyle and decide what are the sacrifices you’re willing to make to achieve it. Once you’ve figured this out, you’re on your way! Here’s how to make it last…

1. Visualise
Familiarise yourself with The Law of Attraction; it’s as simple as ‘like attracts like’ where we have the ability to draw things into our life by focusing on them. To have an understanding that where you place your focus will have an intense impact on what happens to you is very important. This can be for both the good and the bad; if you spend your days focusing on the bad or worrying about the future you are more likely going to see increased negativity, however if you look for a silver lining in every situation, you’ll most likely begin to see more goodness appear in your life.
While of course you need to be realistic, once you can picture something in your mind; you can then begin to see the possibility of creating it. You can’t assume that because you think it, it’ll happen. Instead use visualisation as a method of performance and determination to achieve your goals!

2. Don’t set unrealistic goals
It’s important to remember the little changes you make often mount up to something bigger than the big changes you’re setting your sights on, so changing the way you set your goals is key.

When trying to make changes to your life, make them from a place of love and kindness rather than hatred. So working on your self love in the smallest sense, be it showing gratitude for the amazing things you do have in your life, doing one small act of kindness a week or doing one thing per day that you know your body benefits from, can make yourself feel so much better and help you to reach your goals.

3. Write down what you want for yourself
As well as the main list, take note of the smaller things you can do to get there. Sometimes this is the issue; if someone wants to start a business, they can’t just quit their job and momentarily have no income, so perhaps this year is about saving each month or taking up some extra work… and seeing this as a way to your dream. Or perhaps you want to lose weight but, the issue isn’t necessarily directly food, it’s about the fact that you’re ‘really good’ in the week and then let it all slide with drinking and ‘hangover food’ on the weekends. So perhaps this year, you find something else to do at the weekend that interests you. Possibly something you ‘never find time for’ and use the weekend as a time to stay on track, rather than let it all go. You might then find that the more you’re doing things you enjoy and feeling good about yourself that it’ll work in conjunction with The Law of Attraction and then bring more good things your way!

4. Make changes that are little effort but have a huge effect
Little changes are the difference between keeping it up for the year and letting it slip by January 10th. Some examples you can try are:

• • Himalayan salt baths: Try a 20 minute detox bath to drains out the toxins we ingest in our day-to-day lives.
  • Supplements: Maintaining a healthy digestive system is imperative and supplements can help things a lot.
  • Bone broth once a week: Chicken and veg broth are good winter-warmers. As well as being a mega gut healer, it also helps produce collagen for healthy-looking skin!
  • Body brushing: The main benefits of include boosting circulation, removing dead skin cells, stimulating the lymph nodes, improving digestion and diminishing the appearance of cellulite. As well as the physical side, it’s can be part of a mindfulness practice towards the body, making you aware of each limb and giving you a chance to show gratitude towards it.

5. Rather than cutting out, try adding in
If you’re wanting to kick the food habits you’ve picked up over Christmas that leave you feeling rubbish, try ‘crowding out’. This involves filling your body with the nutrients it’s craving and eliminating the desire to snack on things your body doesn’t respond well to. A great way to start is by getting into the routine of online food deliveries, it cuts out the temptations around the supermarket and it’s convenient!

6. Take time for yourself each day
The more rested and looked after you are, the more you will want to look after yourself — and out of this respect for yourself springs the strength and care to maintain the goals and resolutions you’ve set. Start the New Year the right way by blocking out some time from your busy schedule for yourself. Try two nights a week and do the things you wouldn’t usually — this might be to work out, to cook, to have a bath, to read or to go to an event or talk about something you’re passionate about.

Ultimately, it’s about setting your goals based on self-love rather than hatred. It’s not about drastic changes or deprivation, it’s about balance and knowing that you can have it all… In moderation.
Tori Boughey is a holistic health coach and founder of TBalance, a holistic health coaching service that strives to help people connect with, value and look after themselves.