“Happy happy!”

As a child in Cameroon, I frequently heard this exchanged among neighbors, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances – accompanied by the affirmation “new year, new fashion” .

A Promising Perspective!

The embrace of a fresh start; a renewed perspective and direction!

“New year, new fashion” conveys the figurative intention of reinventing oneself for the upcoming year!

New year celebrations around the world involve many different customs. Some involve breaking or eating fruit, hanging onions to ward off evil, and keeping windows and doors open. It’s a rich tapestry of interesting traditions to mark the new year.

I recently learned that in some countries like Puerto Rico, it’s a tradition to clean everything in your entire house at the beginning of the year; getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.

The tradition of new year’s resolutions dates back over 4000 years. The Babylonians celebrated the new year by making commitments to settle debts and return borrowed items.

As is customary at this time of year, many of us have been contemplating our ambitions and goals for 2024! Unfortunately, most of us won’t stick with them.

So what gives

There is a plethora of online content with links to data discussing the reasons behind the failure of most resolutions. Some of these factors include:

• Attempting to achieve them in isolation.
• Unrealistic expectations, including ambiguous objectives.
• Financial limitations.
• Premature abandonment.
• Absence of a clear plan (failing to plan is planning to fail).
• Lack of motivation.
• Absence of self-confidence.
• Social and other life obligations leading to conflicting priorities.

A different outcome

On my search for inspiration, I came across some fantastic tips.

1. Focus on one goal at a time.
2. Be realistic considering your lifestyle and commitments.
3. Clearly understand the importance of your goal.
4. Develop a detailed plan of action.
5. Begin with small, achievable steps.
6. Build a support system around you.
7. Keep a reminder of your motivations handy.
8. Persist and return to your goal if you stray.
9. Stay focused on what you want and grateful for what you have.
10. Learn from past mistakes and avoid repeating them this year.

The yearly ritual of resolution setting doesn’t have to be an annual disappointment. Sometimes, the difference between success and failure is simply choosing the right goal and the process you use to go about achieving it. Most importantly, remember to be kind and flexible with yourself and to celebrate any and all progress along the way. It’s not just the end goal that matters—it’s the journey along the way.

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-2795719

Here’s three things to look forward to in 2024

As for the built environment, here are a few changes to expect this year.

1. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) becomes mandatory in 2024. BNG aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand, in terms of biodiversity, following a development project. In 2024 BNG becomes mandatory under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021). Understanding biodiversity net gain – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
   • Developers must deliver 10% BNG
   • Small sites exempt until April 2024
   • other exemptions include developments below the threshold. self/custom builds and high speed rail transport network.
2. The roll out of Schedule 3 of the 2010 Flood and Water Management Act in England – this includes the introduction of the SuDs Approval Body (SAB).
3. The Worker Protection Act (amendment to the Equality Act 2010). It introduces several key amendments aimed at ensuring the well-being and rights of workers. Some of the amendments include:
   • An employer must take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees in the course of their employment.

Happy new year and thanks for reading!

Just remember – new year and new fashion!!