We made it folks, it's 2016. While we lock up the chocolate and colour code our diaries in preparation for our biggest year yet, psychologist Alison Hill has been prepping some pretty legit advice on how to start the New Year on the best foot. Ali is an author of top business book "Dealing With the Tough Stuff: How to achieve results from key conversations", a sought after keynote speaker and an all around go-getter, so we know her advice is gonna be good!
She'll be our January Guest Blogger, so stay tuned for some practical and pragmatic words from her!
2016 – Do it differently this year
The start of a new year is one of my favourite times of the year; it has all the anticipation of a Bachelorette final rose ceremony combined with the sheer ecstasy of biting into an Almond Magnum ice-cream on a sweltering hot summers day.
‘Bring it on’ I say!
Having said, all that deliciousness (I’m still salivating over the Magnum), the a few days after new years can also bring with it a similar sense of let-down. Y’know, the same feeling that comes when you stock up in the Boxing Day Sales with stuff that you just know will fuel your garage sales of the future. Short-lived excitement, followed by hall-cluttering regret.
So, what’s going to be different about 2016?
How do you make sure your hopes and dreams don’t just gather dust alongside your baby photo’s under your bed, but rather, are strung out and crafted like award-winning Christmas light extravaganza’s for all to see?
Here’s how......it’s quite simple. Gather in closely and listen up....
You work on them.
Sorry, no silver bullet, no magic potion to rub on every morning, just simply roll-up-your-sleeves hard work. Having said that though there are a couple of things that are worth remembering as you get to work on focusing on your goals for 2016:
1. Consistency trumps perfection
Every exercise program works, every diet works, every idea works, right up until it comes into contact with the busyness of life.
Don’t wait until the perfect time to get started (there isn’t ever a perfect time), don’t wait until you have the perfect plan (there isn’t one), don’t wait until you feel perfectly rested, motivated and (you won’t).
Simply decide on the one thing that you are going to commit to regardless of what is happening and then focus on doing that thing consistently.
2. Make it fun
Fulfilling your goals isn’t about turning into a martyr. Working on what you want is allowed to be fun, it’s supposed to be fun.
Embrace your inner child, get out your colouring texta’s and create some big posters about what you want 2016 to be all about.
3. Gather your tribe
Connect with your people. You know those people; the ones that are in your corner no matter what. The ones who challenge you and stretch your thinking. The one’s who’ll turn up with a bottle of wine when the plan doesn’t quite work out, and they help you get back on your feet.
These are the people you want around in 2016.
Here’s to an epic year. Don’t let 2016 happen by chance, engineer it in a way that it happens by choice.
Love
Ali
Check out some of our favourite posts from Ali below:
#4 - Tickle your kids/partner/ pet
You can also pick up her new book Stand Out here