Many people will have made a New Year’s resolution to ‘go on a diet’, ‘to lose those extra Christmas pounds’ or make some other change in their life or lifestyle .

We all can get a bit down on ourselves for not starting that diet or that big change we said we are going to make, but to be down on ourselves is counterproductive, feeds our negativity and increases the chances of not wanting to start tomorrow either. Remember that every journey begins with a single step and the same applies to changes in our lives. Change does not have to be big and dramatic, it can be small and subtle and just as effective.

If a big change is too much for you now, then don’t worry about it: look for what small step, what small change you can make in your life today that will move you towards your goal and help you take that first step in the direction you want to go in.

If we tell ourselves we are going to do something and then don’t do it we initiate a cycle of negativity: we think badly of ourselves for not doing what we said we would do and that thinking creates bad feelings. If we feel bad about ourselves we think then that we must actually be bad and feel worse about ourselves and so the cycle goes on.

However, if we take one step in the direction we want to go in then we break that cycle of negativity and begin to think in a positive way. So, instead of thinking “I’m a failure, I said I would start a diet today and I didn’t” and consequently feeling bad about ourselves, if we do one small thing that is positive we will change the way we feel about ourselves, reduce our anxiety and feel more positive about our goals. In this case we may think “…well I didn’t diet today, but I did cut out all biscuits so that is a step in the right direction, I’ll build on that tomorrow”. Concentrate on what you did (no matter how small) not on what you didn’t do!

If you haven’t the ‘energy’ or motivation to start your New Year’s diet just yet then this article from the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-lisa-young/food-swaps_b_4525784.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009) may just help you get moving in the right direction.