How to have a happier new year.

And here's the other article I wrote for them.


How to have a happier New Year
So I usually spend most of my Christmas break overindulging and enjoying catch ups with family and friends I haven’t seen in a while shortly before inevitably seeing in the New Year obsessing about the over indulgence and setting myself some highly unachievable and ill-advised targets to transform myself from drab to fab. This New Year however, I am fully planning on enjoying the festive period indulging (slightly less heavily than normal) and beginning the New Year in high spirits without the usual ‘come-down’. Here are my tips to a happier New Year.

1. Don’t over-indulge too much
Sounds too simple to be true right? Really though not spending the first few weeks of Jan nursing a mammoth hangover is really worth it- makes getting up early to go to the gym that tinsy bit easier- trust me!

2. Develop an attitude of gratitude
Be grateful for what you already have. As the Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ says “No one is born to be a failure. No one who has friends is poor.” Work with what God gave you, get to know it intimately, and learn to love it! Those quirks, that weird flicky thing your hair does, your weirdo embarrassing sibling? –all God-given. Realising the difference between getting what you want and what you need and knowing that God always provides what you need and that we don’t always align that with what we want is key.

3. Work out what you want and fight for it
You have a vision or dream? Write it down, speak it out, confess it, stake it and claim it. Be prepared to fight for it. You love to be creative? Don’t be afraid to have a go, get it wrong, mess it up and try again. Give yourself a break when you do mess it up and congratulate yourself when you keep trying. American athlete Jesse Owens once said “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.”

4. Know who you are and recognise who you want to become
Every athlete will tell you that vital to succeeding in sport is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Know who you are, what drives you and motivates you and what you struggle with. Overcoming your struggles and battling those demons becomes easier when know what your identity is and where it’s grounded. My identity comes from God. I know who I am in him. I know what I need to work on and where I fall short but also where I’m strong.

5. Be intentional
Procrastination is responsible for the biggest waste of talent. Don’t sit around fretting about not achieving your goals or worrying get out there and shake things up. Whether it’s a few extra pounds you want to lose or a novel you want to write nothing ever became of doing nothing. Choose how you spend your time wisely. Spend time with positive life-affirming people who build you up and encourage you.

So those are my tips for a happier new year. For the most part I think they’re applicable to almost all situations. Don’t be too hard on yourself and learn to enjoy the challenge. Who knows this time next year you may not have too much you wish to change! Merry Christmas and a happier New Year.