12 things to say “yes” to in 2012

Have you New Year's resolutions already passed you by? Don't panic, the year is still ripe with opportunities to embrace life and live it to the full! We show you how saying “yes” to these 12 simple ideas can help you live life as a happier, healthier and more wonderful you.

The law of probability dictates that, by now, our long lists of well-meaning wishes we like to call “new Year's resolutions” are already gathering dust. Were you overambitious? Did your try to tackle too much too quickly or demand changes of yourself that were too radical to keep up?

12 things to say “yes” to in 2012

Instead of resolutions, we are giving you 12 refreshing ways to shower your 2012 in positivity by saying “YES” to creative change and blazing your own trail, each and every day.

1.     Be the captain of your ship

The old adage, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” helps us to understand the importance of our attitudes and intentions. “Life is just a flow of experiences.” says Corporate Consciousness Coach Kumi Sooke. “If you don't like the experience, you simply have to change it!” According to Sooku, “When we understand that we cannot look outside ourselves for happiness” and we realise that “change happens from within,” we are better able to set our sails to follow the sun.

Be the captain of your ship

2.     Be with Yes people

Surround yourself with “yes people” - people who are positive, happy and who make us feel good about ourselves. Joy and happiness are contagious qualities – when you uplift yourself through the company you keep, you are able tap into the collective secret source of fun and discover joy all for yourself.

3.     Ditch the shovel

Are you guilty of digging your own proverbial hole? Inflexible and rigid thoughts create negative thinking. Negative thinking creates a downward spiral into apathy and dissatisfaction with ourselves and the world around US. Sooku asserts that it's our deep-rooted behaviours that we keep repeating that prevent us from reaching our highest potential. “We are all supposed to be abundantly successful,” Sooke says. “We just have to open our minds and our eyes to believe that it is true?”

4.     Get a healthy body plan

“Create a balanced workout for your body,” says Lisa Schneider of TriFocus Fitness Academy. Aerobic exercise like walking, running, cycling and swimming are great for heart health and overall fitness, she explains. Resistance training that works with weights builds bone and muscle strength. “Developing flexibility,” she says, “ensures that we are able to maintain range of motion and prevent injuries.” Included, of course, is good nutrition, which not only makes you healthy but also happy. “When you balance exercise with nutrition, you don't need to be overly restrictive either,” she assures.

Get a healthy body plan

5.     Embrace simpicity

“Relax and change your life,” says author Emily Clayton in Totally Relaxed (Salamander Books, 2003). Over 80% of all psychosomatic illnesses can scientifically be proved to be controlled by relaxation. Clayton explains how stress increases our blood pressure, quickens our pulse and increases both our adrenaline and insulin production. By embracing simplicity – be it afternoon walks in the park, finding a quiet space to simply stop and stare, a good night's sleep or a weekend breakaway – we will bring a sense of renewed pleasure and fulfilment to our lives.

6.     Realise a goal or dream that won't go away

7.     Recycle

Earth's resources are not infinite. Getting into the good habit of separating our rubbish into metals, glass, paper and plastics can become as second nature as making a cup of coffee when we practice it every day. Before throwing something away,  consider re-using it for another purpose or simply donating it to charity. Recycling turns materials that would have otherwise become waste into valuable resources.

Recycle

8.     Grow your own garden

Growing a garden is one of life's little pleasures that can be enormously satisfying. According to nutritionist Laurey Hyman, “Gardening helps us connect to the principle that a small amount of effort can be rewarded in abundance”. She promotes easy-to-grow herbs such as lavender, rosemary and parsley along with” pretty vegetables” like cauliflower and artichokes planted in and among your usual plants to create lovely focal points.

Grow your own garden

9.     Go slow shopping

Save money and take control of finances by becoming more aware of your shopping habits. Shop though fully, knowing that “slow shopping” means taking the time to examine the way you spend money and being proactive when it comes to finding alternatives to over-priced goods. According to Leo Bebauta, blogger at Zenhabits.net, shopping around should be a fun, educative and creative past time. He says that it will be interesting to see how those small daily saving add to the big bank balance at the end of the day.

Go slow shopping

10.     Throw a no-reason-at-all party

Give yourself permission to celebrate your every success – be it big, small or for no reason at all. Sometimes even people who outwardly may not feel worthy or deserving of such success. According to well, people often need to give themselves permission to be loved and appreciated. With this in mind, there really is no better reason than to have that no-reason-at-all party!

Throw a no-reason-at-all party

11.     Join a cause

It is often said that it is better to give than to receive. Whether you contribute to a charity tin at the till, give up your seat to the elderly or volunteer at a local animal shelter, picking a cause to help out with is very uplifting. You don't need to do it all either, just pick one meaningful project and stick with it, no matter how small – not only will it help those in need, it will give you that special “helper's high” that only comes through contributing to the higher good.

12.     Say yes to real change!

Here's how to make your resolutions stick...

Lasting change requires continued focus and effort. It demands that we become responsible for the role we play in creating our reality. Here are five tips to help  you keep the goal posts firmly in your sight:

·      Use obstacles as challenges to put into practice the joint powers of thought, intention and action.

·      Understand your personal stressors and triggers.

·      Goals should never be made with an underlying feeling of fear or apprehension. Making decisions with a sense of conviction means a more deliberate choice for success, celebration and self-expression.

·      Employ the SMART method when mapping your dreams, i.e. creating specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals for yourself.