Every year, most of us are guilty of the same sin: not sticking to our New Year’s resolutions. Since the dawn of gyms, diets and online tutorials, people have pledged their loyalty to a new health regime or skill enhancing class at the turn of the new year – often with poor results.

But, you shouldn’t feel disheartened, apparently, it’s very common. According to Business Insider UK, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.

This begs the question: how do we start a quest for self-improvement and keep it up throughout the year? To help you launch a new resolution and stick to it, browse these tips for boosting mind, mood and body that don’t just revolve around sensible eating and joining a gym.

Learn a new sport

The start of any year is the perfect time to get fit. We’re desperate to get rid of excess weight and have the enthusiasm to make a change. But, instead of joining a gym, why not try some skiing lessons? Part of the fun of skiing is going on holiday, getting all the new kit, and learning all the beauty tips such as eyecare when skiing.

Gyms are boring and monotonous – not good if you’re trying to stick to a new fitness programme. However, fast sports – like skiing and snowboarding – will take time to master and will be different with every lesson. Plus, an average adult can burn between 250 and 630 calories every hour while skiing or snowboarding, and the exercise tests your balance and works all your major muscle groups to help you tone up quickly!

Furthermore, if you improve your skiing skills you may want to travel somewhere with great slopes for you to enjoy and experience the fresh air as well as the enjoyment of skiing. Many people travel somewhere like Montana and specifically Whitefish because of its beautiful views and great skiing facilities. In addition, there are lots of things to do in Whitefish making the whole vacationing experience perfect for anyone who likes relaxation and skiing.

On a wider scale, adrenaline-pumping sports like these help us to stay happy! According to studies, your body releases endorphins during intense sports – which are neurochemicals that create a feeling of happiness and lower stress – while regular exercise reduces the chances of developing depression (according to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry).

Taste foods from around the worlds

Diets are tough at the best of times, but especially when you fill them with bland foods. However, there’s a solution! Why not shake-up your diet and promise yourself to use at least three healthy ingredients from across the world every week? For example, harissa, a chili paste from northern Africa, is believed to have cancer-protective qualities and tastes great in soups, while lucuma (from Peru) makes a perfect snack and contains carotene that can reportedly reduce the effects of ageing. For breakfast, put some chia seeds in your porridge – this food comes from Mexico and offers a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids. All of these ingredients promote healthy eating and should help you lose weight.

Eating healthily is a major point of concern for Britons today, and failing to consume nutritious foods puts us all at risk of obesity and its related medical issues. A report by Diabetes UK discovered that around 66% of adults ate three or fewer portions of fruit and vegetables per day, with almost 50% not eating a piece of fruit at least three days in a week. Ensure that 2018 is your year to get healthy simply by making it more interesting!

Make time for family outings

Family-time is crucial – but many of us are guilty of not dedicating enough attention to it.

We suggest that you sit down and organise a 2018 calendar of family outings – and not just cinema dates and trips to the park! Make 2018 the year for creating unforgettable moments. Climb Ben Nevis, go whale-watching, hike through a national park, kayak down your nearest river, or do a sponsored abseil. Even something as simple as visiting the bowling alley, and if the competition is fierce, take a look at the ebonite cyclone bowling ball to get the best score!
Big events give your family a collective goal to achieve, which means you get to train and prepare together, as well as make a long-lasting memory at the end.

If you’re not convinced that this is either necessary or achievable, perhaps you should check out the research behind ‘family-time’. Studies show that maintaining a good family life can fend off medical problems in later life. According to the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, single people have a higher risk of developing dementia, while New York University found that married people suffer less from cardiovascular disease than singletons.

What’s more, spending time with loved ones can help you feel more content! The Journals of Vacation Marketing found that people waiting to go on holiday felt happier with their lives and experienced less negative emotions. So, pepper 2018 with a handful of family holidays somewhere you’ve all never visited before to keep moods high in your home.

Re-evaluate your career

We spend a huge portion of our entire lives at work – so if you’re not happy there, you need to do something about it. If you feel you need a creative outlet for some of your ideas, start a blog using WordPress – there are plenty of how-to guides and SEO-related articles to help you get your voice heard online. Want to climb the career ladder but feel you’ve hit the ceiling? Search for relevant courses and ask for external training from your HR department. Or is it company morale that’s getting you down? Corporate days out are growing massively in popularity, so suggest a team-building trip somewhere to lift everyone’s spirits. Sports venues are particularly good for getting people working together in a fun, relaxed environment.

Don’t feel like you’re alone if you’re dissatisfied or unsure about your career. Research shows that millennials change their job around four times before they hit the age of 32. While this could be due to indecisiveness and an open job market, it could also suggest that we’re generally dissatisfied with our jobs. Also, the Health and Safety Executive states that more than half a million workers suffered from anxiety or depression during 2016/17, which can lead to further health problems if left untreated. If you’re generally happy, but think it could be better, make simple changes. For example; arrange a night out with your team or organise Friday afternoon quizzes – these can help to lift the atmosphere and make work easier to endure.

Smash a world record

Perhaps you want 2018 to be a year the world sits up and takes notice? If so, one way of doing this is by breaking a world record. Sound too hard? It probably isn’t, when you consider that one of the most recent examples of creating a world record was for most people to play a tune on a single piano…

According to psychology experts, mastering a talent instils a feeling of accomplishment that can help to reduce the risks of depression and improve mental wellbeing. So, search online for exercises that have already been done and get practicing!

Hopefully, you’ve found something in our resolutions run-down to make 2018 a year to remember.