We will all be hearing the words ‘New‘ ‘Year’s‘ and ‘Resolutions‘ every day for the next 30 days no doubt, but who really needs them? Who sticks to them? Erm…me and not me!

Every year I tell myself I’m going to make changes, that I’m going to do this or that and my life by the end of the year will be significantly better. And pretty much every year, I barely stick to any of them and nothing actually changes that much and I complete another year feeling not that different from what I felt on the 1st January!

So I’ve been thinking about how this year’s resolutions could be different…And I’ve decided that they need to be realistic and achievable. Otherwise what’s the point?! I want to get to the 31st December 2014 and look back at the year and my pledges that I made and fist-pump the air shouting “yeh! I did that!“…or something like that any way.

So I’ve decided on 10 ways to make 2014 the best year it could possibly be, and here’s what I’ve come up with:

1. Write one positive thing down about myself or my life every day

This will help me focus on the good things and help put things into perspective. Sometimes things aren’t always as bad as they seem. I’m going to write mine on a scrap of paper and keep them in a jar to read at the end of 2014.

2. Do at least 7 minutes of exercise every day

Whether it’s a yoga class, a gym session or just 100 crunches before bed, I pledge to spend at least 7 minutes of every day doing some form of physical exercise.

3. Take more photos

To document and track special moments in life, people and experiences. Sometimes I look back and wish I had my camera and I don’t want that feeling this year.

4. Create 1 memorable moment each month

Life is made up of memories and I want to be able to look back at mine and say “Wow! I did some cool stuff!“. I don’t want to regret things I didn’t do.

5. Say something nice about someone else every day

I think it’s important to not only be positive about yourself, but to be positive about others too (even those that may not be your favourite person!). When you radiate and ooze a feeling, you encourage the same feeling back. So this year, is all about being positive!

6. Change 1 thing about the way I eat…and stick to it!

I’ve tried numerous diets and I want to lose weight, but often feel pressured and over-stretched to achieve targets too soon. By changing just one thing about my diet and sticking to it, I’ll be making a positive and permanent step towards the new body I want.

7. Visit at least 3 new places this year

I want to travel and enjoy holidays with my husband, friends and family. But this resolution is not just about new countries, it’s about new places too…it might even be somewhere just around the corner.

8. Progress at work

Achieving happiness in your personal life is one thing, but it needs to be balanced with happiness in your work life too. After all, most of us spend a lot of time at work and it’s a huge part of our lives. I want to feel that I have made a true progression in my career in 2014, so I know I am always moving onwards and upwards.

9. Achieve something to be proud of

This resolution is pretty open and is more about a feeling. Sometimes we may make very small achievements (maybe you finally emptied your inbox at work, or you swam 20 lengths of a pool, or you lost that few lbs you’ve been trying to lose) and don’t always remember to congratulate ourselves. Making a note of these achievements and recognising them is almost as important at the achievement itself…otherwise what’s the point in doing it?!

10. Throw a party!

You don’t always need an excuse to party, but throwing a party is a great way to tick-off a lot of your resolutions in one go. You make memories, you surround yourself with people you love and that love you…and it’s blimmin’ fun!

So those are my 10 ways to make 2014 the best year! Who’s coming along with me for the journey? Resolutions are a personal thing, but I think these resolutions are pretty open, achievable and create more of a feeling about yourself and your life. I’m going to have fun documenting it all along the way too.

What’s your resolutions for 2014?