With January and the end of the festive season comes a slew of ‘New Year new me’ motivational posts and a barrage of weight loss and exercise regime articles. Well, please consider this the antithesis to the new year new me movement and read on for some new year, old me ideas.
Ordinarily, I never make New Year’s resolutions. However, last year in a fit of crisis and dissatisfaction with my life, I did. Though, the only one that I have actually kept up with was to document every book I read for the year. This practice has really helped me to see the progress I’ve made as the year has progressed and being able to look back and see what I’ve read has been a really nice way to jog my memory.
I am a prolific reader, and I still forget things I’ve read lately, but I can look back at my list now and what’s more, I can think “Oh, I was in France when I read that”, or “Oh, I was really struggling at work when I read that, or “Oh, I read that just before I met up with so and so” and so on.
It really is a lovely way to track your year, and it doesn’t have to be books; it could be films you’ve watched or the most played song on your Spotify for every week of the year. I write the books I’ve read in a notebook but you can track them online on Goodreads. This practice only enhances existing healthy behaviours, celebrating the actions of ‘old’ you and giving future you something to look back on.
A resolution I intend to keep this year is to not buy any new clothing for 12 months. This is driven by several different factors which include: a growing concern with global heating and the climate crisis. I want to increase the way in which I try to help slow the process of global heating.
Also, I have a lot of clothes already; really, I don’t need more and if I find that I do then I think I should have to find the required item second-hand (except underwear. I also worry that I tie my personality to my appearance too much, and so in 2020 I am interested in working on being myself regardless of what other people think of me. So, in the new year, I’ll only be wearing old clothes.
Finally, I’m not about to tell you to start a hectic exercise regime but I am going to suggest you set aside half an hour every few days, or even just once a week, to engage with some yogic breathing techniques.
There are a variety of regimens for breathwork which can have big effects on your mental and physical health. Taking care of your old 2019 mind and body is key to having a happy, healthy and successful new 2020.
