by Kay Lockett
It's almost time to ring in the new year! As the wave of celebrations travel across
the globe, millions vow to kick bad habits and improve themselves in an effort to
make this next year better than the last.
New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want and need to make.
Making that annual New Year's resolution is a tradition that much of the world has followed for centuries. New Year's resolutions can be traced back as far as 153 B.C. when Janus, the ancient symbol for resolutions, and mythical king of Rome who had two faces, could look back to reflect on the past with one face and forward to the future with the other.
When the Roman calendar was reformed, the first month of the year was renamed January in honour of Janus, establishing January 1 as the day of new beginnings.
Some believe that New Year's resolutions were started by the early Babylonians, who began a tradition of returning farm equipment they had borrowed throughout the year. Wherever the origin started, making New Year's resolutions has remained a custom that is still widely practiced today.
Popular resolutions in recent years include:
Fit in Fitness
Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.
Wandsworth offers an excellent range of sports clubs and leisure facilities where you can get active and enjoy the sport of your choice, check out: www.wandsworth.gov.uk
Tame the Bulge
It’s not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program.
Weight watchers provides weekly motivation and real-life inspiration to help you reach your goals. Find a meeting near you at www.weightwatchers.co.uk
Quit Smoking
If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Locally, there are a variety of free support services to help you kick the smoking habit.
Wandsworth Stop Smoking Service offers free help, advice and access to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and other stop smoking medications to all smokers who live and work in the Wandsworth area. Visit www.smokefreewandsworth.nhs.uk
Enjoy Life More
Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Londoners, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you. Consider one of Wandsworth’s holistic healing centres for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind and soul. Take a look at http://londonmassage.blogspot.com and www.body-logic.co.uk
Take up a new hobby or try your hand at a sport. Go to a theatre performance, or head to the local spa. Wandsworth offers a wealth of artistic and recreational activities to meet just about anyone's wishes. Find time to do something fun.
Quit/Reduce Drinking
While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.
Drinkaware provides consumers with information to make informed decisions about the effects of alcohol on their lives and lifestyles. Visit www.drinkaware.co.uk
Get Out of Debt
Getting out of debt is completely possible in the present time span when recession has emerged as the biggest economic problem. If you overspent on Christmas or have been having trouble making ends meet for a while, this is the year to pay off those credit cards and/or start saving. A popular website offering financial advice and money saving tips is www.moneysavingexpert.com
Learn Something New
Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. South Thames College offers various full time, part time and evening classes. www.south-thames.ac.uk
Help Others
Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organisations that could really use your help. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you could donate furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need to charity shops.
Wandsworth Voluntary Sector Development Agency is the Council of Voluntary Service in the borough of Wandsworth and acts as the umbrella body and advocate for local voluntary activity. http://www.wvsda.org.uk
Get Organised
On just about every New Year resolution list, organisation can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organised or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, many people want to clear the clutter from their lives.
To sleep and wake up early also comes under this as most people are annoyed with their own habit of being late. People also wish to learn better time management skills and get more out of their day and life.
Achieving New Year's Goals
• No matter which resolution is chosen, following through with achieving it can be a life changing experience for the better. Each year we are given an opportunity to start fresh with a new goal, and new inspiration of attaining it.
• While some have the best of intentions, and try to make a genuine effort to change whatever needs to be improved in order to enhance their quality of life, others often give up shortly after determining their goals.
• The percentage of those who actually reach their goals is quite low. Setting goals that are attainable is the best way to achieve success no matter what the resolution is. It is better to take small steps toward a goal than to set too big of a goal and give up altogether. Some change is better than none.
Whether the resolution is to lose weight, stop smoking, or go green, keep in mind that all these things will lead to a healthier, happier lifestyle.
So, what do you want to do in 2010?
