The TWOP Team's Realistic New Year's Resolutions

Don’t make resolutions you won’t stand by. Here we give you 16 of our realistic resolutions to start the year on the right note.

Today’s normally the point in the year when we start outlining our New Year’s resolutions, with plans to get fit after feeling guilty from the over indulgent festive period and ideas of changing the world, but instead of formulating a list of overly ambitious resolutions that we won’t stick by, we have decided to create a set of realistic lifestyle rules to follow. Here’s 16 things we will be trying to practice in 2016:

1. Smile more. No, we don’t mean walk around like a barbie doll, we mean do more things that make you happy. Do something every day that will make you smile – take influence from the #100daysofhappy campaign.

2. Don’t commit to anything you don’t want to do. Saying “no” is far better than cancelling on someone at the last minute.

3. Be more productive. We normally wake up at 7am most days and are in bed by 11pm. That’s 17 hours of awake time of which you can do a huge amount in! It’s about learning how to to apply yourself and procrastinate less. Spend less time on social media and more time ploughing through that to do list.

4. Have a clear out. It can be really easy to store and stuff things you don’t use hidden away in cupboards and wardrobes, either because you’re attached to it or because you spent a lot on it. Clothes, decor, soaps etc. Take a day to sort these out, throw unneeded stuff away but be sure to recycle or donate when you can.

5. Get more sleep. We need 7-8 hours of Z’s a night and getting this can have great health benefits. To check how well you’re sleeping, try the free app Sleep Cycle, which will wake you up naturally (but on time) based on your cycle, reducing the need for snoozing. And while we are on the more sleep topic… Stop using your phone in bed. Seriously, this needs to stop. Numerous studies in 2015 have shown the bad effect it has on sleep and productivity and it’s a bad habit that needs to be nipped in the bud.

6. Admit when you are wrong. We all make mistakes.

7. Take more “me” time. Sometimes we need to switch off from our phones, work, emails and technology and take time to relax.

8. Get away from screens more often. Computer screens, TVs, phones, iPads are the world that we’re living in right now and as helpful as they are, give yourself a break everyday from these. It may mean a lunch break outside of the office without your phone or an hour or so before bed reading.

9. Don’t feel guilty for eating chocolate. It’s ok to indulge every so often!

10. Be present in conversations. Put down your phone when on a date with the other half, when having drinks with friends or chatting to the family.

11. Take packed lunches to work and save the additional money for a holiday.

12. Read 10 classic novels. Somehow a couple of the TWOP team have gotten through life with people quoting classic novels and us just smiling and nodding away pretending that we know the reference. This year read more. Pick out 10 of the famous classics and take some time out to read them.

13. Be more efficient with food. Do more ‘Slow cooked Sunday’s’ and make more of the dish so that leftovers can be frozen to eat during the week.

14. Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you fail to make the change you wanted to it’s not the end of the world. Positive things often take time and sometimes we should give ourselves a bigger pat on the back for the great things we do in our lives.

15. Walk more. Get off the tube one stop before you need to and walk the extra distance. Walk to the shop instead of taking the car. Have a walk around your town on a weekend. Doing this will improve your productivity, wake you up and give you a daily dose of good exercise.

16. Reward yourself. After all these resolutions, make sure you reward yourself. It takes 66 days (read more here) to change a habit, so give yourself a treat on the 7th March such as a pedicure or fancy meal after you’ve kept up your resolutions. Or, set yourself multiple mini rewards throughout the year as incentives.

Happy new year! We look forward to spending more time with you in 2016.

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