2K18 Resolutions
Happy 2018 loves!!
Sometimes the beginning of the year can be daunting. That time where you're supposed to have all your resolutions and goals set, charging forward with motivation, while more often than not, you're still wondering how it got to the 15th January so quickly when you swear that yesterday felt like Boxing Day....Anyone with me?
Don't worry, as you get older it definitely feels like time flies faster, but there's no need to feel overwhelmed. Goals are not as hard to set and achieve as you think, as long as you have an action plan with the baby steps to work towards them. Sometimes the scary path is much more easily broken down if you take your bigger goals and work backwards to figure out how to get to them.
In case you're a little (ahem) late on getting your New Year's Resolutions underway, here's some inspo for you. The best time to start is always NOW. As an added incentive, I'm doing a giveaway of everything you see in this picture below - simply go to my social media posts on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, and tag 3 friends in the comments/replies. That's it! The winner will be announced on the 22nd January!
GET ORGANISED
- For journalling, recording your goals, organising your calendar and keeping a visual representation of how far you've come, you can't go past a beautifully presented organiser.
I often remember things better when I have a) written them down, and b) written them by hand.
I think it has something to do with the fact that I remember many things in pictures and if I can visualise my handwriting on paper, I'm able to recall it more easily. Kikki.K is heaven for those looking for office inspiration, and a beautifully bound leather number will get your creativity and organisation flowing!
- De-clutter!
- Step 1: Clear out your wardrobe, shoes, cosmetics and jewellery and either throw away anything you haven’t used in the last year, donate it, or sell it. You’ll feel better once you’ve cleared up your space, and this is the perfect time of year to be ruthless and reevaluate what you really do and don’t need.
- Step 2: If you end up with a “maybe” pile, put it in a box high up in a cupboard or in the garage and set a reminder for 3 months time. If you haven’t thought to use anything in the box within those three months, go back to Step 1 ;)
Carousell is a free app on the App Store where you can sell your unwanted items. Snap a pic, put up the details, set your price and you’re done! Anything that doesn’t sell in those same three months, go back to Step 1.
- Become a morning person! For increased productivity and alertness, start going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. I recently discovered the Bedtime app in one of my iPhone updates under the Clock app. You set the time you wish you wake up every morning, and how many hours of sleep you need.
My wake up needs to be at 6:15am (even though I’m SUCH a night owl, I want to break this habit and be more productive in the mornings), and I generally only need about 7 hours of sleep, so this makes my bedtime 11:15pm, which actually doesn’t seem too bad. I set it for weekdays only, as I like to try and sleep in a little on the weekends. Half an hour before bedtime, it gives me a little nudge with a pleasant lullaby sound to let me know to start winding down for the night. This is when I typically take off my makeup, wash my face, brush my teeth, change into PJs and start reading a book as my bedtime ritual, so as to program my body to relax and gradually switch off enough to go to sleep.
The wake up noises are a lot more gentle and lovely sounding than the typical iPhone Alarm app, so I don’t dread my alarm in the morning. It took me a few days to get into this routine, but I definitely think it helps. It can also track some sleep analysis for you, and it’s free!
NOURISH
- Drink more water. Aim to drink 2L+ a day, I usually drink around 3-4L to keep my skin glowing, my energy levels up and boredom hunger at bay.
Do your bit to help the environment by filling up a reusable water bottle and avoid contamination by using one of these awesome Typo eco-friendly stainless steel water bottles. They'll also keep cold drinks icy cool all day (even if you leave it sitting out in the blistering sun at the beach) and hot drinks hot (even if you leave it in the snow). Also, you'll be drinking more water each day if you're carrying it around with you or popping it on your desk.
- Embrace a healthier diet. One of my gorgeous girlfriends Sheridyn Fisher has published her first e-book "This Plant Based Life" with all plant-based recipes - great for using up fresh produce in the fridge, and opting for some meat-free meals every now and then. My faves are the Balsamic Mushrooms on Avocado Toast, the Vegan Shepherds Pie and Roasted Garlic Hummus (Sheri has been making this for years and I'd happily eat it by the truckload!). Use code X to get 20% off at the checkout.
- Meal Prep! Save yourself time and a whole lot of cash by setting aside an hour a couple of times a week to prepare your meals in advance. This will also stop you from sabotaging any of your fitness goals if you have healthy, filling and satisfying meals and snacks on hand when you're tired/lazy/starrrrrving. Plenty of inspo in the eBook above and if you click on the Food & Drink tags at the bottom of each blog post. Get into this healthy habit for a couple of weeks to make it part of your routine, and you'll wonder what on earth you were doing before.
GET ACTIVE
Cute new activewear is both my kickstart to go to the gym and my reward for myself as I get fitter. I love the eco-friendly fabrics and these cute prints from Paco Loves Luna that are great for everything from yoga, to Pilates, to weights, to stand up paddling. Get 20% off with the discount code 2K18 at the checkout.
To complete your yoga/Pilates essentials, or rock a body weight/resistance workout at home, invest in a good quality yoga mat - one that improves grip as you sweat - and is also made from sustainably sourced, eco friendly materials. I love the uber stylish prints on the suede top yoga mats at Unit 9, use code LV15 at the checkout for a 15% discount.Class Pass are making your New Years Resolutions a little easier, by offering 70% off your first month with the promo code NEWYEAR or 5 free classes here. Kick start your New Year and give something a go that you’ve always been curious to try out - with hundreds of different classes, 800+ studios across Australia, and a world wide presence, you’re bound to find something new that you love! My picks to try something new? AcroYoga, Kickboxing and Zumba.
Check out my at-home workouts this year by clicking on the Fitness tags as I add more to the blog and if you’d like to start small, here’s a great 10 minute Vinyasa flow for people of all levels, that I like to do to wake up each morning. Even just starting your day with 10 mindful minutes of correct breathing will do wonders for your attitude and energy levels.
TREAT
- Treat yourself to a minimum of one hour of Self Care each week to unwind, respect your body and give your brain a break. Run yourself a beautiful hot bath and soak in the tub with a gorgeous-smelling Lush Bath Bomb, give yourself a little spa day at home while popping on a face mask like the Karuna Grapefruit Brightening Sheet Mask (available at Mecca Maxima) or book into your local spa for a massage or a mani/pedi. The girls at the Parlour Room in Clovelly are my absolute faves in Sydney.
- Wear sunscreen EVERY DAY. Particularly in Australia - where our sun is so harsh because of the hole in the ozone layer - sunscreen is essential to your daily skincare. I have tried dozens and dozens of formulas, and this one from Mecca’s own range called To Save Face Superscreen SPF50+ is a stand out for me. It goes on great after skin care, under primer and makeup, and won’t leave your skin greasy, clogged or that weird white/purple hue.
- If the holiday party season has left you looking less than fresh, help put your best face forward with this hydrating, sin-concealing Too Faced Hangover Primer. Your skin will glow, your makeup will glide on and stay on longer without the need for touch ups, leaving more time to get stuck into your activities! One of my skin favourites, available exclusively in Australia at Mecca Maxima.
LEARN
- Try something new. Take a class in something (Spanish/Salsa/Cooking were some of my favourite weekly commitments from last year) - commit to undertaking a new skill that gets you out of the norm. We're often so used to being stuck in our routine, it's great to be able to challenge your brain in a way that it's not used to by learning something from scratch!
- DuoLingo is one of my favourite FREE apps that's used by over 200 million people worldwide to learn 15 different languages.
- TED Talks and Podcasts are great to listen to when commuting to work or when you need a bit of a break from the chatter of your own mind. Break away from the mainstream media and the dumbing down of reality television. Learn something while cooking, driving, or working out and engage in more intelligent conversation with people!
- Travel somewhere off the beaten track and learn something new about a culture that's very different to your own. Label a savings account TRAVEL and put away 10% of your salary, check out what kinds of points you can earn on your credit card to put towards flights, and look for AirBNB places/experiences where you can stay with a host who loves to show people their home city to get the most out of your experience.
Remember, to enter the giveaway, simply go to the posts on Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter and tag 3 friends! Prizes are as follows:
- Paco Loves Luna Eco-friendly Activewear Set
- Unit 9 Suede Top Yoga Mat
- Typo Eco-friendly Water Bottle
- Luxe leather Kikki.K Organiser and Pen
- This Plant Based Life eBook by Sheridyn Fisher
- Too Faced Hangover Primer
- Karuna Grapefruit Brightening Sheet Face Mask
- Lush Bath Bomb
- $150 Voucher from our friends at Carousell
Now get back to writing those resolutions and making 2018 YOUR YEAR!
Lauren xoxox
