To resolve or not?

Are you a resolutioner? I was asked before New Years Eve what my goals for 2019 were; and after a long, hard look at things, I decided resolutions were not going to be my focus this year.

It’s not that I didn’t have goals (here at Flock we love new and exciting targets and projects!) but I find that the problem with New Year’s resolutions is you’re working for an eventual prize, and consequently denying and delaying yourself happiness. As we dash from one target to the next, our tendency is to keep pushing the goalposts further and further back or as soon as we achieve a milestone, simply move onto the next one – skipping the pause for gratitude, celebration or acceptance.

To be more focused can imply that you’re not focused enough. To do more exercise; suggests that you’re not at peak fitness and should do more?

If you resolve to be more mindful; you’re saying you’re a spinning vortex of confusion! By creating a target, we are projecting to a future point where a ‘successful’ achievement of the resolution is intended to bring you success / happiness.

Simply Celebrate

What if, right now, we could pause, appreciate the last year and see that we have learned the lessons, noted the achievements and simply celebrate! By slowing down and reflecting, we give ourselves space to notice the small things and make time to enjoy them instead of overlooking them in the rush of new year’s resolutions.

For many of us, 2018 was a difficult year – me included. The dream of what Flock should have been in Year 2 did not materialise; picking my daughter up from school, deciding my own work schedule, finding that elusive work-life harmony. When I was asked what I wanted 2019 to look like, I was tempted to trot out the usual; lose a stone / travel / triple Flocks turnover but as the thoughts crossed my mind I could already see the disappointment ahead…

Its known that 90% of resolutions never make it past January – either because there was no real intention behind them in the first place or where the consequence of not doing wasn’t important enough to keep on track. In the the back of my mind there was a little voice saying, ‘hang on… you’ve done A LOT! Flock is still a viable business against the odds and is steadily growing, you haven’t put on 2 stone (which was definitely possible), your daughter brings you the most amount of pleasure imaginable and you literally treasure every moment with her’.

Instead of worrying and resolving to do things which would be nigh on impossible, instead I am going to work out how I can squeeze more joy out of things, whilst nothing significantly changes. It’s a cliché, but I’m going to figure out how to enjoy this same journey just a little bit more!

I am enough

My resolutions? This year, I am going to focus on courage, empowerment and joy and be very clear that I have enough and that I am enough.

Courage: strength to keep on finding a way through with joy and compassion when frankly you just want to curl up and never open the curtains.

Empowerment: self belief that you are absolutely enough.

Joy: because it’s there in everything if you can slow down enough to see it.

Maybe you have a word for the year, or like me you need three, but whatever you are choosing this 2019, know that you already are enough, and so every little change merely needs to add to the joy you already have!