For readers of this blog, you might have picked up that I’m a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They don’t just have to be at New Year either (happy new financial year rings a bell for me too, first day of summer and so on).
I think what drives me to change is the desire for self-improvement. This doesn’t mean that I’m on an endless quest for happiness or zen. It’s more about how can I be more organised and more productive. I’m all about efficiency. It’s why I love a full body exercise for Pilates so when I hand you those weights doing scooter, it’s because I’m all about bang for buck! Time is a precious resource, people!
Honestly, this drives my husband Anthony nuts. He sees these new quests and thinks – HIDE (because clearly any vision I have has to have him along for the ride too!) I only have his best interests at heart - I promise!
When it’s the start of the year, we see a lot on social media about New Year, New You. I’ve seen some negative connotations around this term and instead people saying “no need for a NEW YOU” and you should “focus on the you that you already are”. Yes, I can see it this way. But I like to think of the “New You” part as that bit about yourself that you want to do a little bit better. It’s not a radical overhaul. It’s inside you already. It’s some minor changes that will make your life happier, healthier, more organised, calmer or whatever it is that you are trying to achieve. We all have the ability inside of us to make small changes, it’s just about actually doing it.
To quote James Clear, who wrote Atomic Habits:
…Meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it is actually big.
The author used the example of the British cycling team in the early 2000s. In short, they were crap. But with the help of some super smart people, they focused on all areas of the sport to do better. The measures were out of the box – it wasn’t training harder or eating better. It was getting new pillows to maximise sleep, it was hiring a surgeon to educate the cyclists on how to improve hand-washing techniques to avoid getting a cold, it was painting the inside of the trucks white to see dust that could degrade the bikes… and so on.
Within a few years, the British cyclists were cleaning up at the Olympics, Tour de France and were a force to be reckoned with. All because of lots of 1% improvements and the cumulative impact as a result. On it’s own, what’s a new pillow or washing hands? But all together, these 1% changes lead to massive improvements in performance.
So it got me thinking, what could I do in my life that is only 1% better? That doesn’t seem like a lot to ask. I could go to bed 15 minutes earlier, I could cut back to 1 coffee a day instead of 2 (this would hurt, but would eventually get easier*) and I could move my body every day. I’ve told myself even if it’s just for 15 minutes, a walk, stretching, a quick Pilates session etc.
What about you, are there simple things in your life that you could change today?
Thanks for reading Wellspringers,
Holly xx
* on the coffee note, I have cut back to 1 coffee a week already (about 10 days since I wrote this blog - with the exception of one nightmare of a night thanks to my 3 year old). And to be honest, this wasn't a hard change. I am sleeping SO MUCH better at night. So here's my 1% improvement already underway.
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