Ten simple steps to get the best out of 2023

First article of the year – Happy New Year! If you follow me on Instagram (@coachjamesuk) you probably saw my Happy New Year post that stated that the New Year New Me, thing doesn’t work. You cannot be anyone other than who you are. There is that quote from Oscar Wilde, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” So, I encourage people to be a Better You.

Striving to be better than you were yesterday is far easier than trying to reinvent yourself as someone you’re not. When things seem daunting or complicated – such as reinventing yourself – we tend to give up, procrastinate and tell ourselves we’re a failure. It is much easier to improve the person you already are, you can take inspiration from someone else, but you can’t be them.

If you want to be better at something, you’ll have to get better, and the only way to get better is to look for ways to improve and step up.

There are no reasons why we can’t improve in this day and age with the Internet and a wealth of information at your fingertips, okay some of it maybe trip but sometimes you have to wade through trash to get to the treasure you’re looking for.

It really is no surprise that statistics say that 92% of new year resolutions fail, if people are trying to be something they are not, or they are aiming for something so huge that they think it’s too hard, so why even bother?

Here are some tips to help you get in the 8% of resolution achievers.

1. Don’t over-stretch yourself, or you’ll talk yourself out of it. If you want to run 10k but haven’t run before, don’t go out to run 10k, start with 1k and build up from there.

2. Trying to be someone you’re not, is exhausting and will deplete you of energy before you get anywhere – just aim to improve yourself, it’s much easier, and more fulfilling.

3. Be prepared to change your approach. If you are trying to do something as per recommendations but that doesn’t work for you; adjust accordingly.

4. Complexity is the enemy of execution – make it easy for yourself to do whatever you are wanting to do. Set yourself up to win.

5. Focus on the task at hand. Eliminate as many distractions as you can. Is doing X, Y, Z more important to you than achieving your goal?

6. Set boundaries and rules. Don’t let people walk all over you, say no if you have to to things that are not going to support your efforts to achieving your ideal outcome.

7. Plan to succeed. Create a plan to succeed, block time out on your calendar to commit to what you are aiming for. If it is to get fit, block out time to go for a walk, or go to the gym etc.

8. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you slip up, or didn’t do what you set out to do that day, know that you can get back on course tomorrow. Don’t quit over one bad day.

9. Remember why you started. When the going gets tough, remind yourself why you started, focus on the outcome you’re going after.

10. Becoming a better version of yourself will last a lifetime. Create a lifestyle that helps you to be happy with who you are. Don’t adopt a fad diet, and then go back to how you were before.

I hope some of those pointers help you? As with everything take what works for you and put it to work.

Remember: nothing works unless you do.