Screw New Years Resolutions. Live for the Now Instead!

As the years zoom by, sometimes I question how much I can take in a year, and how much one year can serve up.

Sometimes I even wish for a year to hurry up and finish as the next year is bound to be better!

This year has thrown almost everything at me, and that’s me being cautious as I don’t want to lay out a challenge to 2016. I mean death, illness, sick-almost-dying pets, unemployment, financial stress, work, overwork, stress, success, love, wedding planning and more. I’m actually surprised I’m still standing.

When I gave up new years resolutions a few years ago I finally realised that life should be treasured. That every moment should be valued. Why waste time wishing for the next year to be better when we can spend it living in the moment?

So screw new years resolutions.

That’s what I say. They have no place in my life anymore, and neither should they in yours. I mean, how long do they last? What short-term stress, adrenalin or regret do they cause? Have you ever stuck to one?

I’ve wasted so much time. I refuse to do it anymore!

I take antidepressants daily. I struggle – almost hourly – with anxiety. At times I feel like the world is against me. My fiancé has been unemployed for 7 months. For a man that’s shit. And he has insomnia. Adding to that, over the last month I’ve just realised I stop breathing multiple times in my sleep. No wonder we’re exhausted! But still, we go on because we choose to. We go on because we still choose to hope and dream… on top of living every day, hour and minute as we can.

In the moment, that’s how we should be living. I mean, every year will include ups and downs. Highs as well as lows. Good health and illness. As every year passes it is guaranteed to include shitty stuff as well as things that make you smile and cackle. There will be good days and bad. There will also be mediocre. It’s all about your state of mind.  Your chosen outlook. The way you choose to live your life.

My life has been so much more enjoyable, positive and regret-less for it.

And positive. It’s been so much more positive, even with the shitty stuff. Sometimes I surprise myself at how optimistic and positive I am when compared to how I use to be… sad, negative, glass half empty, depressed. It’s comforting to truly realise I have changed. I did it. I actually kicked 20 years of on-and-off depression in the ass. Gosh, looking back 5 years ago, well, I don’t think I could have done it then. I also quit my career in project management after so many years of talking about it [Finally, I hear some people say].

I now make the choice to live each year according to a theme

Last year,  it was wellness. I was partly successful aside from moments where I forgot to focus on my overall health and wellbeing (sidetracked by the lure of money/prestige/excitement/alcohol).

And the theme for this coming year? Well, I’m focussing on health, wedding and family. At the moment this is sitting really well with me. Of course, one of them will be crossed off my theme list in January – kinda cheating? Maybe!

What about you? Do you make and break new years resolutions, or do you stick to them? Or do you take a different approach to life? Do share!

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