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FOR MOST OF you, you’ve complete your first week back at work and chances are you’ve either started a new year resolution or have thought about it at the very least.
What that is will differ from person to person. For some, it could be exercising more. For others, it could be learning a new skill or developing a new habit.
All of these things require willpower and dedication and while you may start off enthusiastic and upbeat about them, you don’t want to lose interest and revert back to old habits come February.
So what should you keep in mind?
While making the resolution itself can seem like the easy part, there are a few things to consider first before settling upon that decision.
Performance coach Margaret Mara suggests that you look at what you really want first and to keep it simple so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Most resolutions fail because they’re unrealistic and aren’t achievable.
“You’re better off sticking with one thing [Some people say] I want to do a hundred and one things like ‘I want to take up Irish, I want to take up French, I want to go to the gym’ and what happens is they feel overwhelmed with all of this stuff.”
That simplicity extends to the length of time you’re going to be carrying out said resolution. A year can feel like a long time and Mara recommends that you break it down into three-month segments as they’re “easier and more achievable.”
“Goals have to be specific,” says Mara. “When you write goals down, they become goals. they don’t become a dream… they have got to be specific, they have to be monitored so saying ‘What have I done this week? What do I need to do next week?’ and not beating themselves up if they don’t get them done.”
A lot of habits take a while to develop and that’s down to repetition and sticking at it. Mara says that while some stats say it takes 21 days to develop a habit, in reality it takes much longer (at least a month) before they settle.
“A thing that happens that people don’t realise is this, we have a subconscious mind… there are going to be patterns running so if someone has something they haven’t dealt with [before] and there’s a pattern in their head, they can easily give up on things. The subconscious works on repetition so the best thing to do is to keep at it.”
Ultimately, forming habits take time and if you slip up at any point, you should be kind to yourself. While we look at what we’re going to do for the next year, many of us fail to look back and reflect on what we’ve already achieved, something that can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement.
They keep thinking ‘What will I achieve? How can I do more?’ but they don’t give themselves a pat on the back… and that has to be acknowledged. That’s being nice to yourself, but it’s also being real as we do have a tendency to beat ourselves up and be hard on ourselves.
So the next time you stumble at something, be kind to yourself, acknowledge that these things happen and get back into the routine again. Remember, it’s not about how many time you fall, it’s how many times you get up and keep moving forward.
So say you want to take things into your own hands and not want to go to a class or book a personal coach or trainer. Well, it’s possible thanks to the range of apps and services out there. Whatever your aims are, there’s something out there that will either keep you on track or give you a helping hand.
If your goal requires a significant amount of willpower (giving up smoking for example), then it might be better to get help so you stick to it.
Here are a few that may come in useful.
I want to develop a new habit
What can help: Way of Life, HabitBull, or HabitChamp
For: (Way of Life) iOS, (HabitBull) Android, (HabitChamp) Windows Phone
Cost: Free
Depending on the type of device you have, the app, you will use will differ, but Way of Life, HabitBull, and HabitChamp are great for keeping track of your progress and making sure that you stick to your goal because, let’s face it, developing positive habits is hard enough as it is.
[image alt="HabitBull" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2015/01/habitbull-2-559x500.jpg" width="559" height="500" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
I want to start getting fit
What can help: Couch to 5K
For: iOS, Android
Cost: €1.99
For some of us, starting off an exercise routine can be daunting, but Couch to 5K is a great way to get some activity back in your life. It’s simple, has achievable objectives and will set you up for further fitness and exercise goals should you want to advance from there.
[image alt="Couch to 5K" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2015/01/couch-to-5k-2-558x500.jpg" width="558" height="500" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
I want to improve my fitness
What can help: MSN Health and Fitness
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Cost: Free
As far as free tools go, MSN Health and Fitness is a good place to start. Comprehensive, and full of routines and advice, it’s a good place to start. If you want something a little more specific, there are other solutions out there that will suit your needs.
[image alt="MSN Health" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2015/01/msn-health-595x500.jpg" width="595" height="500" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
I want to learn a new language
What can help: Duolingo
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Desktop
Cost: Free
Is there anything that can be said about Duolingo that hasn’t been said already? Well, for learning a new language, there are few that can beat it and how it presents lessons in a simple and digestible way. There’s even an Irish course on it should you be interested.
I want to manage my time better
What can help: Rescue Time
For: Android, Desktop
Cost: Free
Developing a work-life balance is difficult at the best of times and procrastination can delay you further. Rescue Time can help you identify the areas that you’re wasting by tracking your schedule and offer suggestions at the end of every week.
I want to improve my diet
What can help: Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal
For: iOS, Android, Windows Phone
Cost: Free
Usually accompanied with the aim to get fit, if you don’t know what you’re putting into your body, then you won’t have much luck if your aim is to lose weight.
Calorie Counter is part of MyFitnessPal and has a large food database for you to refer to. Alongside that, it has built up a community that will help you out should you have any queries or need some direction.
[image alt="MyFitnesspal" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2015/01/myfitnesspal-3-562x500.png" width="562" height="500" title="" class="alignnone" /end]
I want to learn how to code
What can help: CodeAcademy
For: iOS, Desktop
Cost: Free
As one of the more popular online coding sites out there, CodeAcademy will help you grasp the basics of all coding languages should you want to learn how to create a site or app from scratch.
A more comprehensive list of sites and services for coding can be found here.
I want to reduce stress
What can help: Headspace
For: iOS, Android, Desktop
Cost: Free (Subscription)
Mindfulness is a big topic and learning how to meditate is one of the best ways of achieving this. Headspace is one service that breaks these moments down into 10, 15 or 20-minute segments, allowing you to get peace of mind.
I want to budget better
What can help: Spending Tracker or You Need a Budget
For: iOS, Android / PC, Mac
Cost: Free (€2.99 for pro version)/ €49.99
You can’t save if you don’t know where your money is going, and Spending Tracker allows you to keep track of it. By entering in your income and expenses, and developing a budget, you will have a better idea of where your money is going and identify the areas you can improve. There’s also a premium version should you require it.
You Need a Budget is the more expensive version of this (you may have noticed), but if you’re on Steam, it’s usually offered at a reduced price during certain deals and is well worth getting.
Unfortunately, this University is really dropping standards, the quality of new lecturing staff is very low, they seem to be hiring people who have qualified with PhDs but no experience. Incredible campus though!
@Joe Conlon: That’s not true the standard of lecturing is excellent. There are new PHD lecturers in most universities but that doesn’t mean they are poor in any way. It’s a fantastic place and it’s a shame to see former staff claiming money they were not supposed to get. That’s if the allegations prove true. The University under its new leadership has done the right thing in looking for a review. It’s a big place with many departments and many qualifications offered and all are of the highest calibre.
@Joe Conlon: That sounds like a very broad assessment and I doubt it’s true. Mind narrowing it down to the department you have experience with because it certainly isn’t true for mine.
@Catherine Sims: we will have to disagree on that, I suppose it does depend on discipline but there has been a significant drop in standards, education is a commodity now and is being reflected as such in this unit.
@Joe Conlon: It has the 2nd highest employability in the country after Trinity and is in the top 150 globally, I’m not sure what you’re using to measure this standard drop.
http://www.ul.ie/international/ul-ranks-highly-qs-global-employability-ranking
@Rochelle: perhaps Joe didn’t do well and wants to blame the lecturers ???
@Catherine Sims: Perhaps he didn’t even get in!
@Rochelle: My own experience, I studied there as an undergrad and got my master’s there back in the day and it was truly excellent, I decided to study further on a part time basis recently and simply found the people over the programme did not know their material at all. By the way, if you have the time read Ellen Hazelkorns books on rankings and that will make it clear on why these rankings that you just referenced mean nothing.
@Catherine Sims: I have done very well thank you, I even lectured there myself for 5 years but am now working in the private sector. However, with your negative response I suspect that it’s you that has ended up in a dead-end job?
@Chef, you don’t even have a qualify to get into University, once you are 23 you can apply for any course in any college that you wish, and if you have enough money, universities service the elites even better. Another individual with a chip on your shoulder I suspect?
@Joe Conlon: In which department? My objection is why you’re tarnishing an entire University for what seems to be an observation you’ve made in your own department.
@Catherine Sims: Catherine if the lecturing staff are confined primarily people with PHD’s and not enough people with experience would he have a point?
@Catherine Sims: if the above point is valid (which it is), why would you try and suggest a possible slander and ridicule to his character based of a journal comment and having no knowledge? Would that make you a petulant child? Asking for a friend
All universities are certainly guilty of a particular problem: making certain that people don’t get employed long enough to give permanency.
Now, there’s a few fair arguments on that: Lecturers fresh from PhD or within a few years from their research tend to be more up to date and permanence can facilitate complacency.
But there are certainly counterpoints on that too: PhDs are very specific and with a narrow focus, if you’re in a place and proving yourself for a decade then it’s hard to argue someone is complacent.
As with all jobs, minimum expectations should be met. During my time at UL I had only 2 lecturers I had a problem with – one a complete waster (anyone who studied to be a tech teacher in UL will know EXACTLY who this is) and the other someone I just fundementally disagreed with but can recognise that they were certainly fit for the job.
The same goes for the TA’s who were IMO nothing less than excellent.
As for excessive expenses – I would be surprised if questions shouldn’t be asked of a lot of universities on that.
What gets me about things like that are that in a static way, it should be pretty obvious where there should be questions asked. Things aren’t static of course – blips in funding and workload occur. But over a period of years it should be pretty reasonable to look at ratios and be readily able to explain any deviation from what you would expect to be a pretty reasonable cycle.
And the whistle blowers who exposed the financial malpractice within UL have been treated disgracefully ever since. Smear campaigns have been carried out by certain individuals.
@Colm O’Sullivan: it wouldnt be Ireland if it were any different
Great University and great Campus.
Unfortunately he mentioned ‘stakeholders’ – that’s when I glaze over.
@eastsmer #IRExit: You do know that isn’t the same thing as “stockholders”?
Everyone working and attanding and studying at UL are stakeholders.
It is interesting to note that UL point blank refused to alert or inform former aeronautical engineering students, who had work experience placements in the Irish Army Air Corps, that they were unnecessarily & dangerously exposed to highly toxic chemicals during the placement.
Over approximately 20 years scores of UL students were exposed with some now suffering illnesses common to exposed Air Corps & civillian airbase personnel.
Toxic chemicals they were exposed to without PPE include Benzene, Cresylic Acid, Dichloromethane, Hydrofluoric Acid, Isocyanates, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, nHexane, Toluene, Trichloroethylene and Xylene as well as many different Hexavalent Chromium compounds.
See http://www.accas.info for more.
@Chemical Brothers: is it long term or short term exposure that causes these health issues? For example, alcohol and fags in the long term can causes cancer. In the short term the body can heal and eliminate the toxins.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Very long term. For example Dichloromethane, with an allowable TWA of 50ppm, was measured in ERF in August 1995 at 175ppm. After this was discovered staff were left to rot in this small building resulting in the deaths of at least 5 personnel. 2 x Non Hodgkins 1 x Brain Tumour, 1 x Crohns, 1 x Brain Tumour, 1 x Heart Failure. There was a further non fatal heart attack and a non fatal Hodgkins. All except 2x Non Hodgkins were suffered by young men in their 20s / early 30s. No one was issued with any PPE.
http://www.accas.info/?page_id=142
Note the State Claims Agency (aka NTMA/NAMA) claims personnel were not exposed to dangerous chemicals whatsoever.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Sorry meant to say staff we left to rot in this location for a further 12 years.
Air Quality reports from 1995 & 1997 were ordered destroyed by Air Corps Health & Safety management in 2006 when a stsff member went yellow with a liver injury. Similar liver injuries (Toxic Hepatitis) occurred in Jan/Feb of this year through lack of chemical & PPE training.
@Chemical Brothers: that’s shocking, and very sad for those men and their families. I was recently in a paint hangar (not as a painter), and the ppe standards were abysmal. Seems like history is repeating itself.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Unfortunately this gets a lot worse.
Adult body count has recently reached 20 for serving & former personnel whilst 5 children of personnel are also dead through a combination of cancer & congenital defects.
In recent weeks we have also learned of at least 7 cases of autism/autism spectrum disorder amongst personnel’s children as well as 1 x Cri-Du-Chat syndrome, 2 x trisomy 21 and 1 x XYY syndrome.
Exposed chemicals were carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic and are doing exactly as they said on the tin
Irish Army Air Corps only started to attempt to comply with 1989 chemical legislation in 2016 but it appears to be only a box ticking exercise with little extra resources on the ground and little effort to enforce a safety culture change.
White Collar Crime is rampant all over the place…..bring in CAB….
A great time to release all this bad news to the media, will get lost in a few hours in Garda Scandals ,brexit and Endexit.
Be interesting to see what former president Dr Ed Walsh will say. He surely will be on Newstalk and will blame the secondary school teachers!!
Second big fire in two days in Limerick . This time in the Raheen industrial estate. Do we have an arsonist on the loose I wonder ?
@Catherine Sims: No we don`t , two seperate unrelated incidents
@Tony O Dwyer: And a completely seperate story.
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