Tomorrow is a new year…a new decade! Are you planning on making any New Year’s resolutions?
One poll by YouGov showed that 63% of Americans said they don’t make New Year’s resolutions. Will it be same ol, same ol for you, come January 1st? Or are you ready for a change?
It’s really easy to state something (or some things) that you’d like to do differently in the New Year. Will you be choosing one of the top two resolutions of better nutrition or more exercise? Here are some things to think about before you start writing down, videoing, or Instagramming your 2020 promises.
1. Why are you ready for a change?
What is prompting your desire to change something in your life. How will this change positively impact you? Now, take that reason, and ask yourself…
”Is this one of my top values?”
If it is not, you may not follow through with it.
2. Are you really ready to change your lifestyle?
This is of course, a very important question. Do you have the desire, the ability, the time, the motivation, to permanently make a lifestyle change? Can you stick with the consistency of actions? This is where working with a professional could be helpful. Another option would be to enlist the help of a spouse or friend to help keep you accountable. Think through all the reasons why you wouldn’t follow through with change, and be honest with yourself about how you will get around your obstacles, and don’t be wary about asking for help.
3. Consider setting smaller goals with a shorter timeline
I suppose a New Year’s resolution is, well, for the year. That’s a long time. Since we already know that most resolutions are done by February (have you seen the difference in the gym between January & February??), then it might be a good idea to make monthly resolutions, with weekly goals. If you take it week by week, suddenly it seems much more doable. You could even switch things up month to month. Maybe you keep things health related, but have a nutrition goal one month, and exercise goal the next, mental health goal the next, and so on! For other thoughts on timelines and goal perspecitves, check out my friend Kristi’s thoughts, here.>
4. Consider goals that are beneficial to your mental health
Speaking of mental health, if you didn’t already know, your brain and your gut are very closely connected. These two both make big impressions on each other, and the health of each will affect the health of the other. Therefore, taking good care of your mental health = taking good care of your GI tract. Yes, meditation is good for digestion. So is forest therapy, petting the dog, and breath work.
5. ALWAYS remember to lay out your resolutions, and goals, as behaviors and actions that you can directly control.
For instance, “losing 10 pounds” is not a goal that is always directly in your control. Instead, you could set a goal of “eating 3 servings of veggies each day” or “abstain from alcohol the next week”.
In another example “being less stressed” is also not always directly in your control. “Meditate for 30 minutes each day” would be a better option.
I hope this helps you to come up with your best plan of action, whatever it may be, in the new year. Do it for you, your happiness, your health, your well-being. By taking care of you first, you will be much better able to take care of others, and have a positive impact on those around you just by living a better quality of life. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you want to talk about any of this in more detail!
Yours in health,
-M