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By the end of the Christmas break, most of us are feeling mentally refreshed (although probably not physically), and ready for the fresh start that the new year can signify.

Each year many of us set out new goals, challenges and resolutions for the coming months. Weight loss is a classic one, while the likes of aiming to reduce plastic waste, cut back on fast fashion are arguably more recent and increasingly popular in the new year’s resolution trends.

However, it’s no big secret that most people give up on their new year’s resolution by the end of January, if not within the first week or two. For this very reason, a lot of people think making new year’s resolutions is pointless and pretty silly. We tend to give up on our resolutions a lot of the time because we set goals for ourselves that are too drastic and aren’t broken down into small, manageable steps. If your goal for 2020 is simply to “loose a stone and a half”, then you probably won’t manage it. However, if your goal for 2020 is instead “meal prep healthy lunches and complete “couch to 5k by March”, then you’re going to be much more likely to succeed in getting the physical results that you’re after.

If you set yourself more realistic, attainable goals for the new year, then they will be well worth your time. It’s important to push ourselves forward and better ourselves whenever and wherever we can. It helps to build up our self-confidence and sense of contentment with life in general. There are many different ways that we can try to push ourselves forward in 2020:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness simply involves paying more attention to the present moment, to your own thoughts and emotions, and to the world around you. Mindfulness can improve your mental wellbeing and help you to get more out of life. In our modern society, it can be especially easy to rush through life without noticing the small things, other people and even sometimes ourselves. It’s encouraged that we spend more time noticing and thinking about the sights, sounds, sensations, smells and tastes that we encounter throughout our day. You can find plenty of exercises designed to increase mindfulness online, with both yoga and tai-chi being particularly great activities to help you focus on your breathing and yourself in general.

Consume less meat, dairy and try to shop local

In recent years, the meat and dairy industries have come under a great deal of criticism for the negative impacts they have on the environment, and arguably even our health. The environment and climate crisis are at the forefront of many people’s minds as we go into 2020. However, going 100% vegan by cutting meat and dairy out from your diet entirely just isn’t going to be for everyone, for a wide variety of different reasons. But, reducing your consumption even just a little can really help to decrease your carbon footprint overall. Shopping locally for your food where you can, is also really great, as this will also decrease your carbon footprint, whilst simultaneously giving support to smaller businesses and local farmers. 

Get more exercise

Getting fitter in the new year is a more than common resolution, and with good reason too as keeping fit is pretty vital for our health, both physical and mental. However, try to bear in mind that going to the gym isn’t going to be for everyone. Instead, you could test out swimming, walking, playing a competitive sport, or signing up to a fitness class.

Being realistic with the goals you set yourself for 2020 is crucial to being able to stick to them. Writing your resolutions down can also help, as can making yourself accountable to a close friend or family member. Another great and super fun way to stay focused is through playing new year’s bingo, introduced this year by new bingo sites 2020.

This game should help you to keep inspired throughout the entire month and banish the January blues. To play you simply download the bingo cards, which contain goals such as “Go out of your comfort zone – there’s a big world out there!” or “Drink more water – hydrate yourself to feel great!”. Every time you hear yourself, a friend, colleague or a relative mention what they’re going to start doing, or give up, in the new year, you simply check the resolution off the bingo ticket. Alternatively, if you want a real challenge, you could try to complete each one of the goals on the bingo ticket yourself.

Of course, no one is perfect, but the new year is a great time to putting in the time to better yourself and achieve more than you did the year before. You can achieve almost anything in 2020, just remember to be realistic and you will set a great plan of action for yourself.

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