Another year has begun and often this is a time for taking stock and thinking about how the coming year will look.  I wonder how many of us make resolutions which are healthy and achievable but how many resolutions do we make because we feel 'we should'?  

 

Is it possible that we disregard our hopes for ourselves and instead can feel pressured by others peoples' hopes for us?  Is it also possible to be influenced by adverts tempting us with a new type of happiness if we buy their product? 

  

Holiday companies show happy families laughing together and jumping in the sea;  furniture adverts sell a homely scene that your home could be more relaxing, comfortable and inviting if you bought a new sofa; internet dating companies portray how easy it is to find a partner with a few clicks;  gyms show us images of lean bodies with a tease of how different our bodies could look; estate agents show us how easy it is to move house and how we could be as happy as the people on the advert if we lived in the 'right home'.

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Resolutions can be helpful and can provide a focus for something which is really important and 'feels right' deep down.  If we can't achieve our New Year Resolutions, will we disappoint ourselves and give up?   

 

Before setting yourself any New Year Resolutions, can you be kind enough to allow yourself to reflect on what you have been happy doing during the past year?  What were you most proud of and can you allow yourself to celebrate it?  What do you want to do more of next year? 

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What if you find that resolution is not the most important thing to you anymore - can you give yourself permission to change it?  If you don't allow yourself to change direction, you may be missing out on the resolution which 'felt right' to you all along ...

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