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Mental performance coach Duncan McCarthy on how to relax in January…
Resolutions aren't for everyone, and people are quick to point out that if something is so important, you need to move it up your priority list before the end of the year.
But I also respect that some people feel very motivated going into January because it gives them a chance to put the past behind them again after maybe a while of partying at Christmas.
The most common goals are fitness and weight loss, and many times our expectations are too high, so we set ourselves up to fail.
We tend to jump in with two feet, but that's really hard to do, especially right now.
If you set yourself a goal to do something twice a week and anything above that is a bonus, you're more likely to feel good about yourself. This isn't a gentle way out, it's just a kinder way to develop a new habit and be realistic about it.
And allow yourself to relax a little. All of our daily lives are not going the way we would like them to be at the moment and we all want to see our friends and family so give yourself a little down time.
If you want to lose weight or lower your handicap, then you know you have to do something different, so find some realistic time to do some exercises or exercise.
When your club opens, if you can, play some balls for half an hour, or a day, on Tuesdays and Fridays, or practice putting.
Time is limited for many people, so let go of an event that happened in history, but make it realistic.
If you drift for weeks or months and you do nothing, you tend to dwell on the past.
Try and have the self-awareness that you can't go back and change, but look forward and change forward.
You might have six weeks off, but not necessarily seven – do something to make things a little better, to get things going again.
It may only be a 20-minute walk, but think of it as the start of something better.
Duncan McCarthy is a mental performance coach working across all sports including golfers Marcus Armitage, Mel Reid and the Majors Champion Ashleigh Buhai
Read more: Why John Daly's bag setup should benefit the average golfer
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