GENTLE GROWTH

New year and an improved version of you, with self-kind habits driving true progress

- CLAUDIA DA SILVA

Before you post that picture flexing on Insta with your caption "New Year New Me!", let's talk real-talk. The desire to implement your New Year's resolutions can feel thrilling and filled with hope and possibility. However these high-pressure expectations can be unrealistic, causing you to lose the momentum you had when you started working towards them.

Unsurprisingly, your brain reacts better to small, kinder thoughts maintaining your sanity as you work on achievable goals. This isn't because you can't handle the pressure of ambition, but rethinking how to achieve your ambitious goals in a manageable way. There are psychology-backed, gentle (but effective) ways to set kinder goals to grow in whatever sphere you aim to without crashing and burning.

BIG REBRANDS

CAN BACKFIRE Personal rebranding has given us agency to transform our identities on impulse, and every new year there's a strong pull to reinvent ourselves.

This pressure may fuel some, but often sets us up for failure because of unrealistic expectations. Resolutions like "I'll never eat sugar again" or "I'll hit the gym every day" tend to be too rigid if you're starting anew. Experts warn that resolutions with words like 'always', 'never' or 'every' are red flags.