Just call me Little Miss Sunshine

2013 in now in session and as usual, in the run up, I made a whole bunch of new year's resolutions that I believed would improve my health, my weight, my friendships and my life as a whole. A new year demands a fresh new approach and by the end result in a whole new me.

However, when I thought about it I realised that they were actually the same as my resolutions for 2012. None of which I achieved or stuck at for very long. In fact, the whole shebang simply caused me to feel miserable and resent the fact that I'd made any resolutions at all. My life did improve in 2012, but this had nothing to do with the little list of rules I made up to follow or the restrictions and demands I placed upon myself. Not only did I fail to lose and keep off the 21 pounds I had decided to lose or fail to run a 5km but these in turn also caused me to flout another of my resolutions - to be happy and healthy with who I am.

Last year, although I am still carrying some of those rogue pounds, I did manage to fit back into a dress I hadn't worn for 4 years and learnt how to dress to suit my shape, as well as exercising more instead of going on yet another fad diet. I may not have managed to run my 5km Race for Life race, but I did raise nearly £800 for Cancer research in the process and made people laugh on the day by dressing up and dancing across the finishing line. I also graduated with a good degree, got a unconditional offer from my university for my Masters degree and found myself 4 work experience placements.

Not really such a bad year all in all.

This year, .

2013 will now be the year when I embrace my achievements rather than focusing on my failures and while I will still aim to improve my lifestyle, I wont weep with misery when it takes a little longer than I thought. Instead of sobbing over a number on the bathroom scales or berating myself for not heading to the gym, I am going to focus on the fact that I am making an effort to eat healthily and walking to uni instead of getting the bus. Rather than stressing out over the amount of uni work I have to do, I am just going to get on with it by taking positive action and asking for help if I need it.

Instead of coming up with some ridiculously high standards that I will come to resent and curse, I have instead decided to celebrate what I achieved last year, do something positive everyday and make an effort to take part in something that may improve someoneelse's life, rather than just my own

Just call me Little Miss Sunshine.

But my main challenge for this year is going to be to take a first aid course. Being able to help someone in this way, whether they have slipped on the steps of the underground and broken a wrist or have collapsed in the street, would be something incredibly positive I could take from 2013. Having lost a grandparent to a sudden heart attack a few years ago, I know how important it is to have certain skills; being able to keep a family member with us, for even a few more minutes, would mean a great deal to me. Bearing all this in mind, learning how to perform CPR correctly could be the most important thing I do this year.

It's going to be busy. It's going to be tough. It's going to be big.

2013 is indeed in session.