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ocal issue 13
Nmagazine
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January 2016
Peace & Goodwill Garden View Crossword & Word Search A buddy in a bag Big Garden Birdwatch Taking the wind out of their sales Security Alert!
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What’s inside
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07
13
21
23
p03
Watson Legal
p21
Big Garden Birdwatch
p04
Peace & Goodwill
p23
Taking the wind out of their sales
p07
Garden View
p25
Security Alert!
p11
Crossword & Word Search
p27
Sticking to New Year’s Resolutions
p13
A buddy in a bag
p29
Prawn Curry
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Disclaimer © While every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss, damage or omission caused by error in the printing of artwork. All artwork is accepted on the strict condition that permission has been given for use in this publication. Adverts are accepted on the understanding that the description of the goods and services are fair and accurate. Local Network Magazine does not officially endorse and advertising material included in this publication. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in any retrievable system or transmitted in any form-electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without the consent of the publisher. Publisher: Local Network Magazine. 8 The Maltings, Thaxted, Essex. CM6 2NB
p2 p2 || Local Local Network Network Magazine Magazine Issue Issue 13 13 2016 2016
T
Looking Forward to 2016 he Watson Legal team are in full preparation for Christmas and the New Year.
That does not mean we are sitting in the office singing Christmas carols and eating mince pies, waiting for the Christmas break to come. We want to start 2016 with a bang! Alongside our existing client work, we are working on our strategies for next year to help build a strong presence in the local community. We have increased the type of work undertaken, so whilst maintaining our specialism in dispute resolution and employment with our other areas, we now undertake property transactions and family work.
Marketing We are developing our new website which will be going live in readiness for the New Year. The website has been advanced in a variety of ways including the new blog and improved accessibility to details of the services we offer. We are designing our new monthly e-newsletter, which upon request is available in print. This will not only provide our audience with Watson Legal’s progress and activity but also include key articles about local issues and developments within the legal world. If you would like to be added to our mailing list please email info@watson-legal.com. We are planning quarterly seminars. We hope to undertake these events alongside other local businesses to impart our joint guidance and knowledge. If you are a local business that may be interested in working with Watson Legal in the forthcoming year then please contact us. We want your help - Watson Legal are striving to improve and grow in 2016. To enable us to sharpen our service to our clients and to
1 Ducketts Wharf, South Street, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire CM23 3AR
accomplish continued client satisfaction we need to hear from you. What do you want from your local solicitors? What do you look for when choosing a law firm? Remember at Watson Legal we are not your stereotypical law firm. We pride ourselves on applying client feedback to enhance the quality of work we offer. We are here to help you and welcome you to either contact us directly with your feedback or please complete the following online survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VK63GWJ
Recruitment We are excited for 2016 as we are expanding our team. We are particularly looking for a paralegal with a view to a training contract. The role will be to support the Sarah Watson in a range of legal services including, but not limited to, dispute resolution, employment, family, conveyancing and wills and probate. We are looking for a charismatic and passionate individual with excellent communication skills who not only has the ability to hit the ground running, but has the confidence to use their initiative. We are also looking for an office apprentice to support our existing administration framework. This is an opportunity for the right candidate to gain a qualification whilst carrying out a hands-on role within a small business environment. If any of these roles are of interest please email your CV to recruitment@watson-legal.com So if you are interested in our e-newsletter, require our services, wish to provide us with feedback or want to work with us, we would be delighted to hear from you. Watson Legal need you! Watson Legal wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Tel: 01279 466 910 www.watson-legal.com info@watson-legal.com
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p3
Sarah Watson - Principal of Watson Legal, Solicitor and Mediator
Peace &
Goodwill
by Brenda Burling
A
fter the Christmas madness we rapidly approach the New Year. This year I thought I’d make a few alternative promises to myself. I am not a fan of the New Year Resolution. This tradition to me is merely a challenge for me to stray almost immediately and before you know it I’ve downed half a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates in one sitting. This equates in me gaining half a stone in weight come the end of January, not the best idea. Instead, I’ve come up with a different plan. I’m going to try and be more tolerant and more caring towards my fellow man. We often are capable of putting these principles into effect over the holiday period but when it comes to the New Year it can be a case of ‘all bets are off’.
So to the neighbour with the dog who may bark at absolutely anything including leaves falling from the trees, I will be grateful, he is doing his bit to keep our neighborhood safe and hopefully deterring any unwanted visitors. To the family with a house full of teenagers who have a party for almost anything, I will think ahead to a
I’ve come up with a different plan. I’m going to try and be more tolerant and more caring towards my fellow man.
time when I’m likely to be in the same position and feel comforted that at least my neighbours will appreciate it is a phase they go through and extend me the same courtesy. To the elderly around me who may moan about a variety subjects and feel the world is not the place it once was, I will feel privileged that they have chosen me to talk to and get my thoughts on these topics, the world after all isn’t the same. I will also acknowledge that I may be the only person they have the opportunity to talk to that day and spend five more minutes chatting and putting the world to rights with them. So please join me in showing those around us we care and understand that we all have difficult times and moments of madness where we just want to scream and shout and get our voices heard. If we tried to laugh a little more with each other and spare a little more time for each other maybe we would go about our days with a few more smiles and maybe make someone else’s day a little brighter too. Wishing all a Happy and Healthy New Year.
p4 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016
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Gardening Resolutions
GardenView
By Rachel Leverton
I
’m a sucker for resolutions. I make loads every year though I have to admit I break most of them too.
But it’s January and time for a spot of gardening self-improvement. To this end here are my gardening resolutions. 1. I will take a daily walk around my plot and pull out a few weeds as I go. I will not wait until I can’t stick a pin between the dandelions. Let’s face it gardeners are great procrastinators. But by doing a little and often we can keep our plots looking spick and span. 2. I will not leave seed sowing until it’s too late! This is my personal nemesis. I get carried away by all the glorious seed catalogues, order dozens of packets then pop them in a drawer and forget about them. 3. I will plant all the plants I buy from a nursery as soon as a get them home and definitely before their flowers drop off and they turn up their little green toes. Plants bought from a nursery, especially those in cell pack, are already in less than ideal conditions and letting them dehydrate further will make for a sick, leggy plant more prone to disease. Preparation is the key here. I will make sure I have the correct pots, enough potting compost and the time to spare before I buy. 4. I will clean my gardening tools at the end of each day spent gardening. This is sensible because dirty tools can spread disease. Mild bleach (one part bleach to 10 parts water) or an organic cleaner, which I prefer, will make sure they’re ready for use next time. 5. I will buy another water butt and water my plants faithfully, particularly my pots. Lack of water produces weak root systems. If I know I won’t have the time I’ll invest in an irrigation system. 6. I will start another compost bin. it’s not difficult
and will help the environment as I’ll be able to recycle even more of my waste vegetable matter. There are small drums and bins which will suit even the tiniest spot. 7. I will help wildlife by making sure I provide habitats for birds, bugs and beasties. Any effort I put in will be repaid tenfold. A garden is a little ecosystem. If it functions well there will be natural pest control, pollination and soil conditioning. Those are my resolutions. You may have different ones and that’s fine. I’m sure we’ll break a few along the way but no-one said the path to perfection, particularly gardening perfection was easy.
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Crossword Clues Clues Across 1 Loss of hair (7) 5 Royal male (4) 8 Permit (5) 9 Musical performance (7) 11 Curved structure (4) 12 Noblewoman (8) 15 Backless seat (5) 16 Jack in a pack of cards (5) 19 Contemplate (spiritual) (8) 21 Egyption goddess (4) 23 Small onion (7) 25 Flat-bottomed boat (5) 26 Grasp, clutch (4) 27 Proof of payment (7) Clues Down 2 Assigned (9) 3 Daybreak (4) 4 Ordinary, unremarkable (6) 5 Ornamental fish (3) 6 Approaches (5) 7 Underwater detection device (5) 10 Slapstick circus performers (6)
13 Listen surreptitiously (9) 14 Mail service (6) 17 Effigy, maybe bronze or marble (6) 18 Benefit, advantage (5) 20 Volatile flammable liquid (5) 22 Adept, capable (4) 24 Chop, clip (3)
Word Search List airbag alarm axle battery bonnet brakes bumper camshaft carburetor clutch console dip stick emissions engine fan belt gasket gearbox headrest heater
horn hubcap mirror piston radiator roof rack seat belt speedometer spoiler sunroof tyre Answers on our website: www.localnetworkmag.co.uk
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p11
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A buddy in a bag
According to the NSPCC figures there are over 68,000 children in care in England and 400,000 children have received some form of support from children’s services.
I
t is shocking to think that around 48,000 children every year in the UK have to flee a violent home situation and leave their old life and precious belongings behind; these vulnerable children arrive in emergency accommodation often with only the clothes they are standing in. According to the NSPCC figures there are over 68,000 children in care in England and 400,000 children have received some form of support from children’s services.
The Buddy Bag Appeal has been set up to provide at least 20,000 children with a buddy bag when they arrive in emergency accommodation. These are backpacks that contain all the essential items a child may need such as PJs, underwear, toiletries and more personalised items such as a photo frame, bedtime storybook and a teddy bear to cuddle. Launched by the Live
Love Laugh Foundation in response to the rising number of children in emergency care, these Buddy Bags can help make the transition from home into care a little easier. Restoring a sense of security and safety to a child during this traumatic time is one of the first steps to recovery. If you would like to get involved and support The Buddy Bag Appeal in whichever way you can, through volunteering your time, donating useful items or making a cash donation personally or through a business, then they would love to hear from you.
â„š
For more information please email karen@lll.foundation or visit www.facebook.com/ livelovelaughfoundation for more information.
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p13
Kings KingsFinancial Financialisispart partofofMortgage MortgageAdvice Advice Kings KingsFinancial Financialisispart partofofMortgage MortgageAdvice Advice Bureau, Bureau,one oneofofthe theUK’s UK’slargest largestaward awardwinning winning Bureau, Bureau,one oneofofthe theUK’s UK’slargest largestaward awardwinning winning mortgage mortgagebrokers brokers mortgage mortgagebrokers brokers We We can can help help you you with with the the following: following: We We can can help help you you with with the the following: following: v vBuy-to-Let Buy-to-Let - building - building a property a property portfolio portfolio v Buy-to-Let - building - –building atoproperty ato property portfolio vv vBuy-to-Let Remortgaging Remortgaging want – want get get a better a portfolio better interest interest v vRemortgaging Remortgaging – want – want to to getget a better a better interest interest rate rate or or raise raise funds? funds? rate or or raise raise funds? funds? v vrate Home Home Movers Movers v Home Movers Movers vv vHome Protection Protection forfor your your home home income income & family: & family: v vProtection Protection forfor your your home home income income & family: & family: Life Life cover cover Life Life cover cover Critical Critical illness illness Critical Critical illness illness Buildings Buildings & contents & contents insurance insurance Buildings Buildings & protection contents & contents insurance insurance Business Business protection Business Business protection protection Through Through our our business business partners partners wewe can can Through Through our our business business partners partners wewe can can also also help help with: with: also also help help with: with: v vPensions Pensions including including workplace workplace pensions pensions v Pensions including including workplace workplace pensions pensions vv vPensions Investments Investments v v Investments Investments v vWills Wills and and trusts trusts v vWills Wills and and trusts trusts vv Inheritance Inheritance tax tax planning planning v vInheritance Inheritance taxtax planning planning
2011, 2011, 12,12, 13,13, 1414 & 15 & 15 2011, 2011, 12,12, 13,13, 1414 & 15 & 15
2012, 2012, 2013 2013 & 2014 & 2014 2012, 2012, 2013 2013 & 2014 & 2014
Our Ournormal normaltypical typicalfee feeforfor Our Ournormal normaltypical typicalfee feeforfor arranging arranginga amortgage mortgageis is£495. £495. arranging arranginga amortgage mortgageis is£495. £495. For Forapplications applicationssubmitted submitted For Forapplications applicationssubmitted submitted during duringJanuary January2016 2016this thisfee fee during duringJanuary January2016 2016this thisfee fee will willbe bewaived. waived. will willbe bewaived. waived. For For insurance insurance business business wewe offer offer products products For For insurance business wewe offer offer products products from from ainsurance choice a choice of business of insurers. insurers. from from a choice a choice of of insurers. insurers.
Contact Contactone oneofofour ourspecialist specialist advisers advisers today. Your Your home home may may be be repossessed repossessed if today. you if you dodo notnot Contact Contactone oneofofour ourspecialist specialist advisers advisers today. keep keep uphome up repayments repayments on on your your mortgage. mortgage. Your Your home may may be be repossessed repossessed if today. you if you dodo notnot
01376 01376320999 320999 01376 01376320999 320999
keep keep upup repayments repayments onon your your mortgage. mortgage. There There may may bebe a fee a fee of of upup to to 1.5% 1.5% of of thethe mortgage mortgage amount amount dependent dependent on individual individual circumstances. There There may may bebe a fee a fee of on of up up to to 1.5% 1.5% ofcircumstances. of thethe mortgage mortgage A typical A typical fee fee is £495. is £495. amount amount dependent dependent onon individual individual circumstances. circumstances. A typical A typical feefee is £495. is £495.
Call: Call: Call: Call: Visit: Visit: 2-4 2-4New NewStreet, Street,Braintree, Braintree,Essex EssexCM7 CM71ES 1ES Visit: Visit: 2-4 2-4New NewStreet, Street,Braintree, Braintree,Essex EssexCM7 CM71ES 1ES Online: Online: www.kingsfinancial.co.uk www.kingsfinancial.co.uk p14 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 Online: Online: www.kingsfinancial.co.uk www.kingsfinancial.co.uk
Challenge Challenge Challengeus us us to to tosave save saveyou you you money money moneyon on on your your your mortgage mortgage mortgage
Special January offer - our normal typical fee is £495 Special SpecialJanuary Januaryoffer offer- -our ournormal normaltypical typicalfee feeisis£495 £495 but for applications made in January 2016 we will charge £0! but butfor forapplications applicationsmade madeininJanuary January2016 2016we wewill willcharge charge£0! £0! Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Your Your home home may may bebe repossessed repossessed if you if dodo notnot Your home may be repossessed if you you do not keep keep upup repayments repayments onon your your mortgage. mortgage. keep up repayments on your mortgage. There may be a fee of up to 1.5% of the mortgage amount dependent on circumstances. There There may may bebe a fee a of individual of upup to to 1.5% 1.5% of of thethe mortgage mortgage There may be a fee fee of up to 1.5% of the mortgage Aamount typical fee is £495.onon amount dependent dependent individual individual circumstances. circumstances. amount dependent on individual circumstances. A typical A feefee is £495. is A typical typical fee is £495. £495.
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p15
MAB 7562 MAB MAB 7562 7562 MAB 7562
Wills Trusts No Will
Long-Term Care Costs
The courts have taken custody of children for up to 2 years while ‘they’ decide who will have them. Here are some other things to take into consideration;
If you have more than £14,250 in assets in the current tax year (14/15), then your home is at risk of being sold to pay for long-term care. You may well think that if your parents die, you will get their main home assets? Think again!
Marriage after Death If you die, your assets go to the surviving spouse. If they then remarry and then divorce, that new partner gets 50% of the assets from your surviving spouse. Worse still, if your surviving spouse predeceases the new partner, they get 100% of the assets. What do your children get from your marriage to your surviving spouse? Nothing!
Life Insurance and Death in Service Benefits If you have Life Insurance or Death in Service Benefits with an employer, where are the benefits paid? Could this lead to a future Tax problem? What are the options available to you?
Speak to us TODAY Simply call in or telephone to make a suitable time to discuss this further.
Inheritance Tax Ensure that once your children receive an inheritance, it cannot be attacked by divorce settlements or creditors. For example; If you leave your son and daughter £250,000 each, they then get married, but then divorce, their spouse can take 50%.
Bloodline Planning If your son or daughter predeceases their spouse, then the spouse gets 100% of what you gave them. You may have worked for 40 years to earn this money. You wish for your 2 children to benefit from it giving them the equivalent of 20 years each. In a divorce, their partners can take 10 years of your working life each!
l l i W t s a L & t n e m a t s e T
2 - 4 New Street Braintree Essex CM7 1ES Telephone: 01376 320 999 www.kingsfinancial.co.uk Editorial details provided by Kings
p1 || Local p16 LocalNetwork NetworkMagazine MagazineIssue Issue13 132015 2016
The Kℹng of Fℹnancℹal and Property Advℹce
K Kings also provide a service where they can find you the most competitive life insurance cover, so you don’t have to.
ings Financial is part of one of the UK’s leading independent award winning mortgage and protection brokers based in Braintree, Essex. They have a range of services based around property and investments but what makes them so individual is the level expertise and personal customer care throughout every aspect of their service offering.
There are three core components at Kings; Kings Financial, Kings Property and Kings Wealth. Kings Financial offers a premier mortgage service; they can help you with remortgaging, finding better mortgage deals with hundreds of suppliers and assist with debt consolidation. If you are considering building a property portfolio Kings can assist with securing a buy to let mortgage and will help you to understand the new tax rules around buy to let investors. Kings also provide a service where they can find you the most competitive life insurance cover, so you don’t have to.
Kings Property is everything you need for a successful property investment and will help you to maintain your existing property portfolio as well as sell your properties for maximum return. Kings Wealth assists clients with pensions, investments, corporate pensions and inheritance tax planning. If you haven’t yet made a will or want to find out how to protect your assets for generations to come, talk to Kings. If you are a business owner, Kings can offer expert advice to help you to understand the implications of the new pension enrolment scheme.
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Always happy to help, a friendly member of staff is on hand to help you with any of your financial and property matters. Call Kings today on 01376 320 999
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2105 | p1 Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p17
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I
t would be wrong to think of celebrating without Champagne. We deny ourselves this ultimate luxury so many times during the year because “the occasion isn’t special enough for champagne”. Well, New Year’s Eve IS special enough. It’s a time for reflection of the year past and making bold (and sometime unrealistic) goals for the year ahead.
Although the majority of Champagne we know comes from the ‘Grand Marques’ (Bollinger, Moet, Veuve Clicquot etc) there is an increasing interest in, what is called ‘Grower Champagne’. This is where the estate that grows the grapes also makes the wine, common practise everywhere else in the world, but definitely the minority in Champagne. Made in small amounts they are normally pretty hard to find, but totally worth the effort. Out of the examples I have tried ‘Forget Brimont Premier Cru Brut NV’ (£24) is my favourite, it rivals the better ‘Grand Marques’ on quality and beats all of them on price. They also do a cracking ‘Forget Brimont Premier Cru Rose’ NV (£27.50) for those wanting pink bubbles. For those hosting large New Year’s Eve parties and not wanting to blow the whole budget on Champagne there is some good alternatives. ‘Cremant’ is sparkling wine made exactly the same way as Champagne, but from other parts of France. ‘Cremant de Loire “Carte Turquoise”, Domaine Baurmard’ (£15.50) is a brilliant wine in its own right and is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Of course it would be wrong to talk about bubbles and not mention Prosecco. For New Year’s Eve why not try ‘Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Nardi Giordano’ (£15), this super premium Prosecco is clean, fresh and with a finish second to none. It’s a real step above the rest and a perfect little treat. After all it’s best to finish your year in style, the diet doesn’t start to January 1.
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Big Garden Birdwatch
I
n 1979 the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) collaborated with the hit children’s TV programme Blue Peter and got our youngsters to count the number of birds in their gardens over a weekend in winter. The aim was to work out the ten most common birds in the United Kingdom, and thanks to this partnership an astonishing 34,000 kids took part!
The Big Garden Birdwatch has taken place every year since, with over half a million people getting on board – now including grown-ups! This is no longer a kids-only activity. In 2014, more than 8.5 million birds were counted, with house sparrows being the most common sighting, followed by starlings, blackbirds, blue tits and wood pigeons. Results from the annual survey has identified that certain species of bird are on the decline (such as house sparrows and starlings) whilst others are on the increase (for example blue tits and wood pigeons). By monitoring trends
Results from the annual survey has identified that certain species of bird are on the decline (such as house sparrows and starlings) whilst others are on the increase (for example blue tits and wood pigeons).
in this way, problems can be spotted early, first steps taken to put things right enabling us to sustain the variety of species of our feathered friends. This year the Big Garden Birdwatch takes place on the weekend of 30th and 31st January. All you have to do to take part is watch for one hour the birds that land in your garden or local park, record the highest number of each bird species you see at the same time (not over the entire hour, as you may end up counting some birds twice), then report back your findings.
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For more details on how to get involved, visit www.rspb. org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/ discoverandlearn/birdwatch
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p21
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01376 551830 p22 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016
Taking the wind out of their sales by Wendy Jennings
W
hen is a sale a sale and when is a sale not a sale? We can hardly tell the difference these days can we? In the good old days, a sale was ‘the January sale’ where people would camp outside of department stores, freezing their bits off and impatiently waiting for the doors to open; a hint of craziness in their eyes as they are interviewed by TV reporters before the shopping frenzy commences. Back in the day it was fun.
Nowadays, there is a sale somewhere 24/7. We have now found out, courtesy of social media, how the big brands have been duping us by escalating prices 20% a few weeks before the ‘sale’ then the ‘sale’ price is the pre-hiked price and not a real discount at all. Not only that but we seem to have inherited yet another American custom – Black Friday and Cyber Monday (and the 2 days in between). We wake up on these days to an inbox full of tempting offers from every retailer known to man and we see internet shopping go out of control! But
We have now found out, courtesy of social media, how the big brands have been duping us by escalating prices 20% a few weeks before the ‘sale’ then the ‘sale’ price is the pre-hiked price and not a real discount at all.
the high street sale shopping during this period is brutal – shoppers being trampled on and punched out of the way because another human being HAS TO HAVE THAT TELLY! Perfectly normal people like you and I, now bearing teeth, sharpening claws and snarling at fellow man. The world of retail has really and truly gone mad. A good example of the never ending sale is a well know sofa manufacturer! Don’t bother ordering in time for Christmas in this sale, there’ll be another one along in 2 weeks! Everything online has some form of discount applied to it – especially computers and electrical goods. You don’t even need a sale for a serpent-like queue to form outside of an Apple store when a new iSomething is about to go on sale (at full price of course). So next time there is a sale, think a little differently about what it is you are getting for your hard-earned folding and if you go back to the store a week later when the sale has ended, you might just get it cheaper.
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p23
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p24 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016
Security
Alert! by Louise Addison
How can we protect ourselves against fraud?
T How many times have you had to click on ‘forgotten my password’ and go through the process of resetting it?
he power of plastic is wonderful but the issue that comes with so many bank cards and online accounts is the endless PINS and passwords that need to be remembered. How many times have you had to click on ‘forgotten my password’ and go through the process of resetting it? So how do we make this easy on ourselves? We, rather dangerously, make our numbers and passwords simpler, like our child’s name or date of birth. Fraudsters can have a field day with this information and it becomes a valuable tool. But how do they get hold of our information?
Careless talk! How many of us publish personal details on Facebook and other networking sites? We announce our favourite books, films and the names of our children and our pets for all to see. Can you keep a secret? In a research study carried out for the Infosecurity Europe trade show, four out of five subjects questioned happily handed over the user name and password for their work PC to those carrying out the research. More surprising, many of those who would not initially reveal their passwords did so after being bribed with chocolate!
Gone Phishing? NEVER click on links in unsolicited emails purporting to be from your bank or building society. If in doubt phone them first. It is a wellknown fact that banks and building societies will never ask for your account or login details. Proper Passwords! The best passwords are a completely random mix of characters and letters. Fraudsters have a hard time guessing them, even when they use dedicated software. Security experts suggest that we use a separate password for each account we possess. But given that most of us have trouble remembering two or three passwords, you can see the problem with this approach…and that is why we simplify it for ourselves and the fraudsters. Fortunately, there are password managers available for under £30 which remember your various passwords and PINS but encrypt them to make them useless to anyone else. If you want the very latest in security technology, you can purchase a fingerprint reader for around £100 or an iris scanner for under £300. Most importantly, make sure you keep your PC’s security software updated and be very aware of people with clipboards offering chocolate!
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p25
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p26 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016
Sticking By Kate Duggan
to New Year’s Resolutions
D
id you know that people have been making (and breaking) New Year’s Resolutions for more than 4,000 years? Some historians believe that the practice dates back to the Babylonians. Their New Year began in springtime, with a festival dedicated to the rebirth of the sun god, Marduk. The Babylonians believed that making promises to the gods would help them start their New Year off on a positive note. The Romans kept up the tradition, although they changed the date of the New Year to January 1st.
These days, New Year’s Resolutions tend to focus on self-improvement, whether it’s eating healthier, quitting smoking or getting a new job. Millions of us make a resolution each year, but only 1 in 10 people stick to it. If your resolve is already wavering, here are a few tips to help you stay strong: Write it down - Writing down a goal and reviewing it regularly improves your chances of success by up to 95%! Involve other people. Tell people what your aim is, and ask them to help. Will your partner join you on your healthy eating mission? Do you know someone who fancies going jogging with you? Have a plan - A goal isn’t enough; you need to know how you’re going to get there. Resolving to exercise more? How many times a week are you going to work out? What combination of exercise are you planning to do? Do you need to get anything in place to help you achieve your goal, such as a new tyre for your bike? Break your goal into smaller ones - So you want
to lose two stones by your summer holiday. How many pounds do you want to lose this fortnight? Make your goal realistic and measureable. Remind yourself why you’re doing it - Do you want to be healthier so that you can watch your kids grow up? Fit into that dress or suit that you haven’t been able to? Make it pleasurable - There are usually more ways than one to reach a goal. You don’t have to join a gym to get fit, for example; you could take up a dance class, try karate or simply go for a walk more often. Keep track of your progress - Create a spreadsheet, download an app, or just celebrate each small success on Facebook. Give yourself rewards along the way - Save the money you’d normally spend on cigarettes or chocolate and treat yourself with it at each small milestone. It soon adds up and saving money this way can pave the way for something bigger like saving money for a deposit so that you can buy a house! Get back on the wagon - We’re only human, so we all slip up sometimes. One fry-up doesn’t mean you also have to skip the gym. Think about why you slipped and consider how you can stop it happening again. Perseverance pays off eventually. Good luck!
Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016 | p27
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www.facebook.com/jfpfitness for exercise tips, advice and customer references. p32 | Local Network Magazine Issue 13 2016