New Year's resolutions – What? It's already February!

January is over, and how are you doing? Did you manage to keep your New Year's resolutions? Whether it's exercising more or being more environmentally conscious, we always make a lot of resolutions at the turn of the year that we don't follow through on the following year. At least not for long. Or do we? The beginning of February, the second month of the year, is a good time to reflect on how your and our New Year's resolutions are going. It's estimated that 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by February at the latest.

For our part, we have to say that we were already able to check off a few items on our list in January. We finally completed the long-needed and postponed inventory of our bags, suitcases, and other belongings, and spent three whole days with the entire team counting and checking our products. We've also already expanded our team and welcomed Anastasia to our team. Poor Dusty had to undergo surgery, but he recovered well and is back on duty as our Happiness Manager. Nevertheless, there are still a few things pending, and what's particularly annoying is that, due to the Omikron wave, we're once again working from home and can only see each other in split teams rather than as a full team. We're already looking forward to packing our business bags again soon so we can be in the office with the whole team. We also still have a few trips planned; we have to catch up on a lot of things we've missed over the past few years and get our suitcases out of the dusty basement!

So? How are things going for you? Which resolutions have you been able to keep so far, and which ones have you already broken? Did you start the new year with big strides and then stall, or are you still right on track? If the latter is the case, then you can be really proud of yourself! If not, then this blog might help you get back on track. We've scoured the internet and compiled the three best tips for becoming "that girl," or simply staying motivated and keeping your resolutions for more than a month.

1. Pay attention to the wording of the resolutions

It's not just your lack of perseverance that's to blame for your failure to keep your resolutions. Even the very formulation of the resolutions can doom the project to failure.

First, you should write down your goals. This makes them more real, and you won't be able to "suppress" the note as easily as you would the thoughts in your head. When formulating them, it's important to set precise goals. The SMART formula from project management can be used for this. Your goals should therefore be S: specific; M: measurable; A: attractive; R: realistic; and T: time-bound.

So not: I want to do more exercise, but: I want to move more this year to feel healthier and fitter, so starting tomorrow I'll pack my gym bag three times a week and either go for a 20-minute jog or go to a yoga class after work.

It's best to add something positive that increases your motivation, such as: Afterwards, I reward myself with a piece of chocolate.

2. Share your goals with others

You don't have to do everything alone! Share your resolutions with others or even find a comrade. The advantage of this is that others will ask you how things are going and you can motivate each other. This increases the pressure on you to show success and helps you stick with it.

3. Don’t take on too much and listen to yourself

Especially in January, you hear from all sides: "I'm currently detoxifying my body and only eating xy" or "I'm going to the gym five times now." Don't let this stress you out! Take care of yourself and only set resolutions that you really want to achieve, not because everyone else is doing them. Because only if you want something from the bottom of your heart and the goal comes from within you can you stay motivated. If you really have something that you absolutely want to achieve, don't take on too much at once. Set small goals and try not to want everything right away. Because if you overdo it right from the start, there's a huge risk of giving up and by February or a few weeks later, you'll be back on the couch instead of on the bus to the gym with your sports bag .

We hope you made it through January well, without letting yourself be influenced by overly motivated "New Year's resolutions." Always remember:

If you set a realistic goal that you truly want to achieve, you can achieve it. It doesn't matter whether you start in January or August!

So, we're busy working on new products for you now; we have quite a few plans for this year. We also have a few trips to plan and backpacks to pack for our next big steps. So you know what's going on, remind us if we're neglecting our resolutions! 😉

Let's go!

Your myBagFactory team