New year’s resolutions: a tradition of well-being

Together with sweets, fireplaces, gifts under the decorated trees and the very long family lunches, the new year's resolutions have now become fully engrained as part of the holiday period. For many, it's nothing more than a game, a fun way to start the year in the good mood that only the best wishes can give. At most, some may see it as a sort of superstitious ritual, as a ritual that can divert luck into the days to come. But is it really just that, or can drawing up a list of good intentions have a real positive effect on everyday life?

Why write a list of New Year’s resolutions

Today, perhaps more than at other times in history, there is a widespread impression of not having control of almost any dimension of one's life. It seems that everything is the result of chance or of some superior force (even if absolutely earthly) that we do not have the possibility to influence in any way, let alone to direct in our favour. The world and society are large and complex, and all we can do is hope for the best.

Today, perhaps more than at other times in history, there is a widespread impression of not having control of almost any dimension of one's life. It seems that everything is the result of chance or of some superior force (even if absolutely earthly) that we do not have the possibility to influence in any way, let alone to direct in our favour. The world and society are large and complex, and all we can do is hope for the best.

That no one has full control of their lives is certainly true: we cannot predict either the obstacles that will come before us or the opportunities that will unexpectedly be offered to us. However, there is no doubt that you can control your daily actions, and we often tend to overlook how significant is this power that we have the power to exercise over ourselves.

How to write a list of New Year’s resolutions

Identifying the direction, getting in tune with oneself and developing a purpose to aim for: these are just some of the reasons for approaching a tradition of the first days of the year as something more than just a game. And yet, all the more so in situations like this, it is easy to be panicked from a blank page: how do I know what is really right for me? How do I determine what are the first steps to take to achieve my goal of personal accomplishment?

First of all, it is essential to focus on the elements of your life that you consider most important. What gives me the most satisfaction? What could I absolutely not give up? What gives me unmistakable energy? Answering these simple questions is enough to clearly identify what we are most passionate about, and this is of extraordinary importance because what we are most passionate about is also what gives us a stronger sense of purpose. Once you have completed this step, you can devote yourself to writing down your intentions.

It is important not to neglect the writing phase: writing down one's intentions is like sanctioning the will to put oneself into action. Moreover, it is essential to have something to refer to whenever you feel the need to strengthen your motivation. To this end, some also recommend finding a word or a short sentence that can serve as a mantra. If after the first phase of reflection on oneself it had not yet been possible to identify specific goals, it may be useful to write a few lines anyway, hypothesizing what could change in one's everyday life to make it more fulfilling.

Finally, to make sure you always have support on your improvement path, you can share your list with a good friend, who can advise and encourage you with real enthusiasm.

New Year’s resolutions and meditation

Before starting to draw up their own list, there are also those who have proposed to devote a few minutes to meditation. On the other hand, you know that meditating is a simple and very effective way to get in touch with your inner self. Wondering what your motivation for change is immediately after a meditation session may have some nice surprises in store.

Buddhist symbolism can also help to create a meaningful list of good intentions. The Buddhist symbol of the mandala can in fact be used as a diagram to organise one's intentions for the future, placing at the centre one's fundamental motivation, the one on which everything is based and that will guide any other action, to be placed in the concentric circles that spread from the centre.

New Year’s resolutions and wellness

No doubt different people will have different good intentions. We have done nothing but underline it: writing a list of new year's resolutions is an activity that has to do with one's subjectivity. Yet, it cannot be denied that everyone aims at a substantial objective: that of living well. For this reason, wellness can only be a common goal to strive for.

As always, we mean Wellness in all its dimensions. First of all, physical well-being. This aspect of good living includes some of the classic good intentions for the New Year: to follow a balanced diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. If this might seem rather obvious, and therefore just as easy to put aside, this can be declined in more specific objectives, such as limiting the consumption of red meat to a minimum or perhaps to adopt a 100% vegetable diet one day a week.

Traditionally, it is the intention to increase the frequency of physical activity that couples with this good intention. Also in this case, it is essential to have precise rules: a first good rule may be to exercise for at least thirty minutes a day, combining aerobic exercises, strength training exercises and stretching exercises. If this is not enough, we also propose trying at least one sport that you’ve never done before.

In addition to physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing is also just as important. In your list, try to think of ways, which help to achieve a better emotional balance. In addition, you know, the bitter enemy of psychological well-being is stress: you can then propose to learn new ways to recognise it, manage it and, when possible, prevent and avoid it. But the sphere of mental well-being also includes the aspect of relationships. Thinking about what one could do to make one's bonds even more satisfying or, if one feels the need, create new ones, is a good purpose that could significantly improve the quality of one's life.

Finally, a good purpose that is truly valid for everyone, to start the new year in the best possible way: let us never forget that we are not alone on this planet and, above all, that nothing that animates nature is our property. We should therefore commit ourselves to protecting the environment we have inherited and make sure that it remains a hospitable place for us and for all those who will come after us.

The wellness gift for your new year's resolution is Technogym Elliptical, the new home elliptical offers fluid movement, no impact on joints and exclusive access to an incredible variety of on-demand video training sessions led by your favorite trainers.
Technogym Elliptical is the ideal solution for everyone - even beginners - thanks to its fluid movement, without impact on the joints, offering an extensive library of on-demand video programs and workouts tailored to your needs and goals. The compact footprint and the ability to close it make it ideal for homes of any size and for any room in the house.

Essential data always in sight. Place your tablet on Technogym Elliptical to choose from an incredible variety of video on-demand workouts from your favorite trainers and take out of entertainment options.
The console includes all essential data in an intuitive and very visible way during the training session. In addition, to access Technogym Live and its variety of on-demand training programs and videos, place your tablet on the console. Choose between Technogym Sessions, training sessions led by a trainer, virtual workouts in outdoor scenarios surrounded by nature or in the most beautiful cities in the world, training routines dedicated to specific objectives, or Custom Workouts, ranging from classic workouts focusing on goal - time, distance, calories - to more advanced programs such as Hi-Intensity Interval Training.