Kick-Start your Year with Positivity: New Year, New Decade, New Intentions

In this article, we’re addressing how to make New Year’s resolutions really work with considered intention setting, and how to banish any back to work fears with our top positive behaviours for January and beyond.

According to YouGov,

only 22% of adults say they make New Year’s resolutions

and the reason this number has been falling is because they’re just so damn hard to keep; with only a quarter of those who make New Year’s resolutions managing to keep them all. The problem with setting resolutions is that if they’re not achieved, it can result in a sense of failure, which, especially at this time of year, on top of returning to work, the cold weather and short days can feel amplified beyond reality.

At HappyMaven, as much as we enjoy the thrill of a challenge and appreciate the purpose of a goal for the future, we believe in setting intentions is key to living a fulfilled life, both in the workplace and beyond.

Setting intentions for each day and being mindful with each action taken, considering how those actions are achieved, rather than focusing on the end goal enables us to live in the moment and make small, manageable steps to achieving wider goals.

In other words, it enables you to enjoy and take pride in the journey to a goal, rather than just slogging away to achieve a goal - or resolution. 

We understand that returning to the workplace after more than a few days off can strike a chord of panic in many people’s hearts. It’s common to feel overwhelmed by thoughts of overspilling inboxes, clients and projects, and even experience forms of social anxiety when getting back to work after the holidays.

To minimise the fear of getting back to work, try out the following tips:

Early Bird

Set an alarm for half an hour earlier than usual to eliminate any panic or worry about getting to work on time - this part is within your control, so own it! Give yourself enough time to get ready and enjoy a healthy breakfast without rushing, to kickstart your day and year, with calm positivity.

A Date with your Inbox

If possible, keep your first day back in the office as meeting free as possible and schedule time in your calendar to work through your inbox. Start by focusing on the emails which you know are a priority or have been sent by key stakeholders within the business. You will feel organised and ready to conquer the year with emails under control. 

Get Mindful

Alongside intention setting, why not try bringing more mindfulness to your everyday. Mindfulness is the act of focusing our attention on what is happening without judgement and with full acceptance. When we do that, there is no resistance and we can focus on what really matters. To get started, try Headspace, an app designed to provide guidance and exercises to add extra mindfulness to your day. 

Look forward

Arrange an activity to look forward to in the next few weeks, both within the workplace and outside. We understand that team morale may be waning in January, so why not kick-start the year with a HappyMaven workplace wellbeing workshop designed to positively impact your employees physical, mental and emotional welfare. It’s been proven that investing in nurturing your team’s wellbeing will result in a more productive and motivated team - which has never been more needed in the deepest of winter. 

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Most importantly, don’t let any anxiety or stress bleed into your well-deserved time off. Look forward into 2020 with positivity and everyday intentions to help achieve your goals to make the year successful and rewarding for all. 

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Discover more about HappyMaven’s services and how we can support your team achieve their personal and career goals by getting in touch for a free 30 minute consultation.