insideKENT Magazine Issue 82 - January 2019 | Page 91

NEWYEAR
SMALL
CHANGES
BIG
DIFFERENCE
by Samantha Ready
NOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT JANUARY TYPICALLY
HERALDS THAT AGE-OLD TRADITION CALLED
THE ‘NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION!’ SOME BOLD
STATEMENT OF PROMISE TO LOSE WEIGHT, GET
FIT, SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE CHILDREN,
DESTRESS, QUIT SMOKING, DRINK LESS…YOU
KNOW THE DRILL. THEY TYPICALLY LAST UNTIL
ABOUT NOON ON THE 2ND WHEN YOU LOCK
YOURSELF IN THE DOWNSTAIRS LOO, STUFFING
YOUR FACE WITH LEFTOVER QUALITY STREET,
WITH A LARGE GLASS OF VINO, WHILST HISSING
AT THE KIDS TO “GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES!”, ALL
THE WHILE CONSOLING YOURSELF THAT THERE
IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR.
Well, worry not – for we are doing
away with the grand gestures, the
unachievable promises and sense of
impending failure; for gone are the
traditional resolutions and in their
place this year are the small changes
you can make (and stick to!) that will
make a BIG difference for 2019.
HOME
Get up 15 minutes earlier
What’s 15 minutes in the great scheme of lie-
ins? Not much! But in the great scheme of
getting up, getting ready and hitting the day,
just a few more minutes will make a huge
difference. You will suddenly have time to
actually finish getting ready for the day for a
change, and as a consequence can start the
day much more calmly.
Perhaps it’s the time you need for a bit of
exercise, to do your makeup, make a proper
healthy breakfast rather than snacking ‘til
lunch, manage some finances, online shop or
to tidy up before the rest of the house descends.
Use your bonus time proactively and once in
the flow you can aim to build up to waking 30
minutes earlier.
Make your bed every morning
Not only does it stop you falling over your
myriad of scatter cushions and throws
whenever you enter your bedroom, it actually
mentally prepares you for the start of a new
day, putting being in bed to bed, if you will,
and calling you to action for whatever you
face next.
It also means that at the end of a long day you
will retire to a perfectly relaxed sanctuary with
an invitingly made bed, that will in turn aid a
better night’s sleep and the start a peaceful
cycle of calm nights and proactive mornings.
Challenge yourself to say ‘yes’
We know how it is having a busy life, juggling
the work/life balance and always having a to-
do list as long as your arm means that our
default answer to things tends to be ‘no’. Mum,
will you play with me? No, sorry I’m busy; Do
you fancy coming over for dinner? Sorry, no,
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