New Year Resolutions – how to make them and not break them

New Year Resolutions tend to be a triumph of hope over experience. As few as 8% of people meet the goals they set on 1^st January. The trick is not to be too hard on yourself and leave some room for vice. We thought we’d use this week’s blog to look at the most common resolutions people make and how to make them easier to achieve.

There is a general trend year on year for the types of resolutions we promise to try to make and not break. The most common being:

1. Eat more healthily. It’s detox January (or maybe Dry January in your household), but there are so many fads around it’s difficult to ascertain what works. Studies have found that people who abstain from alcohol in January actually end up drinking less throughout the rest of the year and this reduced liver fat (the cause of liver disease) and reduced blood glucose and cholesterol. However be wary of super food faddish diets that consist of things like quinoa, dandelion root tea, blueberries and algae – the diets the magazines claim keep superstars thin and young! A moderate and balance diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish and unprocessed carbohydrates is still the best way to a healthy weight and life. BBC Good Food Magazine has published some great information on balanced diets for men and women with handy recipe ideas – check them out here:

For women: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/balanced-diet-women

For men: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/balanced-diet-men

2. Save more money. As the cost of living increases – especially in large cities like London, it can seem like an impossible dream. But it really is a case of every little helps. The 365 Challenge is a simple way of putting aside a small amount each day that you hopefully won’t notice and you can save £1,500 by the end of the year. You put £1 aside on a Sunday, £2 on a Monday and so on until the following Saturday when you put £7 aside, and then you revert back to £1 on the Sunday.

3. Get more exercise. This doesn’t have to involve joining a gym. In fact most people who sign up to twelve month gym memberships rarely make it past the three month mark and then you are just burning money. A brisk walk, a swimming at your public pool or a 30 min jog will have exactly the same effect for considerably less money. If the weather is poor there are numerous fitness apps (some of them free) that can have you working up a sweat and burning those calories in the comfort of your own living room. Qinetic lets you stream classes from experts in the fitness industry – whether you fancy Zumba, yoga or something more challenging. Sworkit is also worth a look. It allows you to pick your positon from yoga, cardio, strength training or stretching (in any or all combinations) and demonstrates the exercises. Perfect for anyone from an absolute beginner to serious fitness types.

Others include getting more sleep, making new friends, reading more, learning a new skill or taking up a new hobby and getting a new job. Again the trick to achieving these is to do so in moderation. Go to bed half an hour earlier each night. Write down one book you want to read this year and try to read a page or so most nights – as much as you want to. Join a club that involves a weekly rather than daily commitment. And most importantly, remember to be kind to yourself and don’t give yourself a hard time over what you can’t or don’t get time to achieve.

Finally we thought we’d share the most quirky and slightly bizarre resolutions that people made (well they gave us a laugh in the office):

• Fight crime by teaching owls to shout ‘Crime’ at anyone committing an offence!
• Wear the same bikini in all my selfies
• Learn the difference between ‘effect’ and ‘affect’
• Spend less time interacting with people and more time with my phone
• Strike a balance between my shampoo and conditioner.

A very Happy New Year to all our customers and prospective customers. We hope whatever resolutions you make (if any), your year is a happy and healthy one.

TFS Loans are specialist Guarantor Loan lenders. We offer Guarantor Loans from £1,000 – £15,000 for a range of purposes including large purchases like cars, home improvements, weddings and other events, debt consolidation and for start-up/small businesses.