Matilda Rice – Author of The Lazy Girl's Guide to Living a Beautiful Life
"Don't go into the new year putting too much pressure on yourself! I'm not the biggest fan of new year resolutions as they're usually setting you up for failure (let's be honest here). It's not about 'all or nothing' when it comes to improving your health and wellbeing in the new year, it's about small steps that add up over time.
Start with small goals, because I find there is nothing more motivating than the feeling of achieving a goal - then set a new one. Just remember to treat yourself with a bit of kindness - don't beat yourself up!"
Rose Keddell – Hockey player with the New Zealand Black Sticks
"Whether you are into resolutions or not, there is a lot to be said about an individual who knows what they want and goes after it. Therefore I think it's useful to write some goals and establish what you want to get out of the year ahead. It's always so interesting to reflect on these at the end of the year and see where your priorities are at.
Secondly, but equally as important, ensure you are bringing in the new year with your best bunch of people. It helps to get the year off to a positive start if you finish off the last one with people who bring out the best in you."
Luke Cederman – Pro Surfer & Married at First Sight Participant
"I'll usually start off by setting unrealistic and immeasurable goals that I have no intention of ever achieving like 'I'm going to drink less & exercise more this year'. That's on about the third of January while I'm still in party recovery mode. Then I'll reflect on my past year, learn from my mistakes, pat myself on the back for my achievements and come to the realisation that I'm still alive so I must be doing something right. That'll give me the optimistic attitude I need to head into the new year and kill it!"
Lauren Glucina – Founder of Ascension Kitchen
"I've developed a bit of a ritual over the years. I like to buy a brand new journal, roll a big blanket out over the floor, bring out my crystals, and a light a candle. I find I can lay there for hours contemplating and writing in that book - noting down lessons learned, things I'd like to let go of, and the things that have brought me the most pleasure in the preceding year.
Then, I like to make a page for each aspect of my life (love, life purpose, creativity, health, education, family and the like), and write down what I would like to create for each. I believe that thoughts are creative, so this is in a way, planting a seed for it to become a reality.”
Jess Quinn – Model
"For me, and what I'm hoping to encourage people to do, is to simply shift the focus. Take a step back, understand why it is you're doing what you're doing and check in to see if your mindset is in the right place according to your values, beliefs and goals. I focused hugely on this in 2017 and it's something I want to take into 2018 as I believe mindset is the most important thing.
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Advertise with NZME.It’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, the quick fixes and the short term highs without taking a step back and asking 'is this what I want to be doing?'. Is this what’s best for me? And most importantly, is this making me happy?
I want to encourage people to shift the focus away from our exterior and instead look inside at our mental wellbeing, who we are at our core and who we want to be. Shift our focus towards being amazingly kind, happy, loving humans.”
Rachael Newsham – Les Mills Program Director
"Make 2018 the year that has 12 giant fabulous leaps ahead. That's my best tip for winning at life. In January, make a goal you absolutely know you will achieve – then clap yourself crazy for it because it's this win that will determine how the rest of the year unfolds. Your brain will recognize the success, and the great feels from winning will flood your system with confidence. You'll smash into the next goal with a bigger sense of self.
With each month of growing confidence in your ability to conquer all quests, your brain starts to buy its own brand of awesomeness, and back itself. As each month passes, your ‘single magnificent focused goals’ need to increase in challenge, to match your increasing self-confidence, so you milk the heck out of your potential.
Once you start writing ideas down of things you’d like to do this year, a natural order of easy to hard will appear, and from there you should allocate them to the most appropriate month - January being the easiest, and December being the hardest. When I say ‘hard', I mean in relation to what you yourself consider hard or easy - something like going to bed early might be easy for me to do, so I would set that as a January goal.
I find that this smart way of ‘playing to win’ increases my internal self-belief operating system. I get a boost from my own achievements and my productivity levels go crazy. Let 2018 be your field of dreams, built one month at a time, on the fumes of success when you back yourself and build a winner."
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Advertise with NZME.Lydia O'Donnell – Marathon runner and trainer
"Mindset is everything. Having a positive mindset and a determined attitude are the most important things to achieve anything great in life. As an athlete, I have learned you always have to be optimistic about training and competing, or else you won't get anywhere. Positivity brings many amazing things in life. The mind is a powerful tool.
Goal setting is also something I live by. Writing down a goal and knowing you have a purpose to live for every day continues to keep you striving for greatness. No matter if it is a healthier lifestyle, a successful career or simply a better family member, set a goal to achieve what you perceive as 'successful' and make tiny wins every day to get there."
Art Green, director of CleanPaleo
"My tip is to find something to train for or work towards. Maybe pick an event like a half marathon or a 10k run event, a cycle trip or hike with a friend. Whatever you chose to train for, it has to be something that A) you want to do either because you will enjoy it or because you know you will feel a great sense of achievement from completing it. Or, B) is going to require you to improve yourself in some way to take part in.
It is much more interesting and motivating to train for something than it is to simply exercise. Plus when people ask you what you're up to, you don't just have to talk about how busy you are with work, you can bore them with your training stories also.”
Kirsty Godso, Nike master trainer
"Focus on what you put in your body. Whether that is food, thoughts, breath or water all of these things have a dramatic result on the effects of your training. It's easy to hit the gym hard in the new year coming in with a fresh attitude but don't underestimate the importance that good nutrition and regeneration contribute also.
If the ultimate goal is sustainable healthy living, be kind to your body by making smart food choices that are right for you. Hydrate and sleep more, and fuel your mind with things that are worthy of taking up space in there unsubscribe from the spam! Your body and burpees will thank you for it.”
Tony Marsh, personal trainer and founder of I.AM app
"Aim for overall health. This includes not only your body but your mind. In other words, the way you handle emotions and stress. Look at the areas in your life where your body and mind might need attention e.g. are you getting enough sleep at night? Poor sleep has been linked to obesity, lowered immune function, and memory problems. Are you getting enough exercise? Exercise is not only essential for weight management and physical health, it also improves mood and sleep patterns. Your general health creates a ripple effect on all areas of your health."
Dr. Libby Weaver, nutritional biochemist, best-selling author and speaker
"Look at the whole picture: remember how you eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe and perceive all impact how you show up each day. Your biochemistry, the nutrients you consume, as well as your beliefs impact whether you experience energy or not. We must give our body what it needs to create the conditions inside of us that allow us to feel energised."
Olivia Scott, founder of The Raw Kitchen
"Write down each day what you are grateful for. This allows us to be happy with what we already have, and is a great base to start when setting new intentions for the new year!"
Dean Purcell, personal trainer and founder of The Garage Gym Project
"My top wellness exercise would have to be the wall facing squat. We all need to be squatting because it's a fundamental movement pattern used in our everyday life. This is great for people that spend a large amount of time sitting, it helps with tight hip flexors and lower back pain and It can be done any time and the only piece of equipment you need is a wall.
All you need to do is face a wall and bring your toes as close to the wall as possible - your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width. Bring your knees forward so they are also touching the wall, keeping your head forward and using your arms to guide you, slowly lower yourself as far down as possible without losing contact with your knees, pause for one second then come back up, again pause for one second and repeat. Aim for 10-20 reps every day.”
Emma Mildon, author of The Soul Searcher's Handbook
"Follow your nose in 2018! Adding aromatherapy to your day-to-day can transform any mood or situation. If Monday mornings are a challenge incorporate refreshing, awakening; and invigorating scents like citrus, rosemary, or peppermint by adding it to your pulse points, your bedroom, or even to your car for your morning commute. It will help to clear and focus the mind for the day ahead.
If a busy mind has you up at night, or your new year mantra is to stress-less, then add scents like lavender, ylang-ylang, or sandalwood to your day, especially to your bedtime routine. These calming scents help to settle the mind, promote a well-rested sleep, and can even help to lower blood pressure.
You can purchase ready-made essential oil room sprays, essential oil perfumes, or essential oils bottles that you can drop onto your pillow or eye mask before bed, or to the collar of your clothes. My personal favourite is adding them to cotton buds and placing them in the car, home, or the workplace. An easy and practical new age tip to help you live well in 2018.”
