Nowadays, only one in five Brits make New Year’s resolutions. But it might not be the resolutions that are the problem, it’s when you start them.
Here’s why you should start some of the most common resolutions in the run up to the festive season, not after.
Exercise more
The most common New Year’s resolution is to exercise more but dark January days and overcrowded gyms often mean this resolution dies by the wayside before February rolls round. Combat this by building in 10 minutes of exercise pre-Christmas. There are plenty of free fitness videos on Youtube so there’s no excuse. You’ll also save on an expensive gym membership you might not even use.
Not only will you look good for your Christmas night out, but once you’ve started the habit and started seeing the results, you’ll be sure to carry it into the New Year.
Lose weight
The second most common resolution is to lose weight, and the age-old adage of ‘abs are made in the kitchen’ is true. Weight loss is around 80% what you put into your body and 20% what you sweat off, and by starting your resolution pre-Christmas festivities you’re more likely to make informed and healthier choices over the Christmas period, instead of going all out by telling yourself you’ll start the diet in January.
Learn a new hobby
You may have good intentions in starting that hobby come New Year, however, as soon as January 1st rolls round, chances are you’ll have talked yourself out of it with the belief you “haven’t got enough time”. But if you take up that hobby before Christmas, when we tend to have more energy and a positive outlook, you’re more likely to stick at it. And after a Christmas break, you’ll be raring to get back to it – and beat those January blues.
Save money
Unsurprisingly saving money comes in as one of the most common New Year’s resolutions to make, but if you’re faced with the thick thud of a bill hitting your floor mid-January it can be easy to bury your head in the sand. Instead, start looking at your finances and managing your budget before Christmas to get your 2020 off to a flying start. Follow the 50-30-20 rule: 50% on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings.
Travel more
Europe is still the number one destination that Brits like to travel to and with that in mind sit down pre-Christmas and start planning where you want to go. Once you’ve planned where and when you want to go, you can add this to your financial budget and come January when travel companies start their sales, you can get the best bargains for the places you want to go with the knowledge you’ve already booked the time off work too!
So, what are you waiting for, start your New Year’s resolutions now and by January they’ll already be a habit?!
