Our new year’s resolutions - have we stuck to them?

We have finally made it to February after what seemed like a never-ending January. Christmas is now a distant memory, but how many of us are still sticking to the new year’s resolution we set ourselves at the start of the year? It is easy to choose what you want to change, however; the main struggle is knowing how to prepare ourselves to ensure that we stick at it. At the Juniper Company, we like to spend time in January reflecting on the previous year and to set goals for the new year. So, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on our new year’s resolutions, one month in, and see who is embracing the change, who has given up and who never got around to starting!

I asked the team, and this is what they said:

Emily Kavanagh:

My new year’s resolution was to join a gym and go regularly each week. After all the binge eating and laziness around the festive period, like most people I had my head set on starting the year healthier and more active. Now one month down, I did join the gym (although admittedly a few days later than I anticipated) and found myself enjoying it more than I thought I would. I will continue to make this a new part of my weekly routine and hope to maintain this change in the future.

Jemma Came:

This year, I decided not to make a new year’s resolution. I’ve been so focused on improving myself and my life, that I haven’t taken the time to appreciate what I already have. I guess, you could say that my resolution is to live in the moment and focus on the now, to not set unrealistic goals and instead, just see where life takes me.

I have a habit of being too hard on myself, so one month in, it’s refreshing (trying) not to judge or compare myself to others, nor to be punishing myself for not achieving a resolution. I’ve been able to start the year with a fresh perspective and I’m looking forward to what 2018 brings – my year of going with the flow, looking after myself and jumping in to pools of endless possibilities... just because I can.

Laura Riches:

Dry January! Much like Emily I experienced slight reluctance here to give up what seemingly felt like a necessity with three children, home and job to juggle! However, at the end of the month, I feel more energetic than ever (although admittedly the bad stuff did call me a few times - loudly – in the first few days). I would highly recommend giving the booze a swerve for a while. You might be surprised at how much natural vitality and zest for life you have.

Marta Evans:

My new year’s resolution has been to be more assertive when communicating to others – both in my personal and professional life. I have realised that I need to state my needs more often but do this in an honest yet sensitive way which is not always easy! In the last month I have been talking a lot more about how I feel and expressing what help and support I would need from my family and colleagues (rather than leave them guessing and feeling frustrated when they don’t get it right). So far, I’ve had a couple of positive examples and I’m looking forward to becoming more polished in asserting my views.

Nicki Kavanagh:

I have mixed feelings about new year’s resolutions, partly because in the past I have made them and broken them quite quickly. I don’t like the sense of de-motivation and not fulfilling my promises to myself… However, I thought about it again this year and found the thinking process helpful – I reflected on what I planned to do last year, what I actually did do and then, what I want to do this year to make both work and home life more fulfilling and enjoyable.

For example, based on my reflection, I have now set a work-based goal to develop my learning around the latest research on personality and especially the impact our personality has on our behaviour. At home, I want to focus on my personal well-being and health. After being introduced to the steps counter on my phone, I find myself trying to beat my daily steps target each day (a positive channel for my competitive nature). In addition, I plan to do some off road running to continue exploring the local area on foot, setting a goal to speed up, so I can feel fitter and get more out of the time I have to myself in my busy schedule.

Get in touch with your resolutions - we'd love to hear how you're getting on!