new year resolutions

ALIVE!

Happy New Year! I’m back lovely readers!! Sold, moved, settled and so very grateful to be ALIVE! Literally and figuratively. And now to 2021…

How exciting to have a whole new one to continue entertaining our Covid19 lockdown intentions? Mine included shedding a few kilos, exercising daily, sorting storage, becoming conversationally adept at French, writing, baking bread, and more. Reality? Donned the covid jacket, incapacitated myself via a squat, moved the stored stuff from A to B, learned precisely six new French words, and wrote a random blog or two. Oh! And proudly held aloft the complimentary sourdough loaf that came with the brew at my fave coffee shop (the only one open during lockdown), squealing, ‘look what I made!!’. 

Sooooo! This year there’ll be no lofty goals. Instead, I’ve simply adopted a one-word mantra — a power word.  

‘ALIVE!’ 

My power word forces me to consciously:

  • Don the face mask – it’s contributing to keeping us all alive
  • Make time to hang with my fave people – they make me feel so alive
  • Contort into that Yogic pretzel – an awkward reminder that I’m definitely alive
  • Hit the footpath for a morning walk – keeping the body active and alive
  • Lift my face to a rain shower or breathe in the beach – negative ions for vitality
  • Listen to inspirational podcasts – appreciating the guidance of others
  • Examine the neighbourhood  –  so buzzing and vibrant
  • Jot thoughts into the daily gratitude journal – how lucky to be ALIVE!

Of course, life isn’t always beer and skittles. When I find myself grumbling into my beer, desperately wanting to poke someone in the eye or sulking (in which I hold a masters), my power word starts hollering. ‘Suck it up, princess – be thankful your ALIVE!’ 

If you were to choose your power word, what would it be? 

The year of Harolds

Happy New Year!

Now about those New Year Resolutions. Are you a ‘big bodacious hairy goal’ setter? A crafter of sweet personal commitment lists? Or do you sit in the camp of ‘I always break ’em by February so why bother’? Judging from the volume of motivational New Year quotes shared by friends and family on Facebook January 1st, seems a lot of us have intention. I searched for mine:

‘Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book, write a good one’ 

‘365 new days, 365 new chances’

Right, so the new year has the same amount of days as last year. Good to know; and clearly the world will end on December 31st, better get cracking, pop the book publisher on speed dial and to hell with the editing.

‘New year, new feels, new chances, same dreams, fresh starts’

‘What if you simply devoted this year to loving yourself more?’ 

Valid point, why not? Could do with a regular massage, pedicure, retail therapy, oh yes, a lot of retail therapy.

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New Year, new me, new you

The end of a year, a propensity for pondering the next – let’s see now… a handsome rich lover? 60% pay rise? unlimited world travel? (a spot on the comedy circuit?) Yep! It’s time to revisit the bucket list. To tick off the year’s conquests (interior makeover, explore Croatia, celebrate pesky big 60 in Paris, nail social media branding expertise), and add more for the coming year (learn the Flute, conquer the French language, learn to write code).

It’s also time to think about a few simple lifestyle enhancements for the coming year; shared of course for that’s what the blog’s all about. Enhancing our lifestyles. Did a spot of sleuthing across the mags and bloggers and curated my top 10. This will be our year of ‘Be’s’…

  • Be radiant: Buy one new nourishing skin care product to combat long dehydrating summer months, refresh and rejuvenate – our complexions will thank us
  • Be bright: Book a rapid teeth whitening session with our dentist or invest in a whitening kit – bright white smiles strip years off our faces
  • Be bold: A new red lipstick – ever so french and perfect for setting off that gleaming smile – a Cosmetician to help select the right shade for our complexion of course
  • Be nourished: Shift the focus from weight and calories to health and nutrition – out with empty white carbs, in with nourishing, nutrient-dense real whole foods
  • Be energised: No such thing as ‘no time’. Make time for exercise, from simple 15 minutes quickies to something more substantial, our bodies will thank us

  • Be stimulated: Keep the brain active with apps like Lumosity for brain stimulation, Babble for languages, Ted Talks and Pod Casts for intellectual enhancement

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