Another year come and gone in the blink of an eye and what a year 2017 has been! Now is an important time to sit back and reflect on the passed year. Think about all the things you have achieved and all the people (and animals for me) that have made an impact on your life this year and the impact to you have made on theirs.

Think about how you spent your time this year and what you did to add value to your life and those around you. Time is always going to pass no matter what we are doing. Be it doing a workout, catching up with friends/family or sitting watching mindless TV. We need to use our time wisely as you never get that same moment back again. Before you know it a year has gone and we have or haven't achieved what we set out to do. There is that saying “regretting wasted time is a waste of time” so rather than stressing about it, Think about what you can do to make 2018 a more productive year.

As a Personal Trainer and Nutritional Specialist, people would always say to me - “I bet January is your busiest month.” This was never true. Things only really picked up in February, and i found it was either because clients had over done it in December and needed a month to recover. Or that they had set such unrealistic goals (fitness regimes/diets) that they tried to battle through in January, and ended up giving up with as they weren't sustainable. At this point they would seek professional help to find something that they could stick to long enough to see results and not so extreme.

It’s coming to that time where everyone (well most people) are starting to think about their new years resolutions. What i would suggest when deciding on these is using the acronym SMART when deciding on them.

• S - specific
• M - Measurable
• A - Achievable 
• R - Realistic 
• T - Timely

Its important to think about this when setting goals, otherwise we can end up setting unachievable goals which can end up disheartening us and even send us more in the wrong direction. Think of ways that will better your mental and physical health. Small achievable changes. 

New year is always a good time for a fresh start, and often the motivation most people need to kick start their new healthier habits. The key is sticking to them and making them “just what you do”. I wrote a blog while back about needing to stick to something for at least 3weeks for it to become a habit. Usually at this point you are noticing that you are feeling better in your clothes, have more energy or overall wellbeing so that motivates you to carry on.

To end off this blog - I hope you all have a special festive season with your loved ones. Enjoy your time, try stick to a few healthy habits to make January that little bit easier for you. But most importantly enjoy each moment - and don't wish any time by - each second we have is precious! Say what you want to say - and do what you want to do #YOLO