Here we are again. Another year done and dusted.
I think it is quite wonderful that most people use this time to reflect on where they have been, where they are, and where they'd like to be. For many, this means some serious thinking about their health and wellness. Needless to say, I get a lot of inquiries in January from people who are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. They are ready to finally start reaching those goals they keep setting for themselves every New Year.
While I love the renewed interest and enthusiasm that New Year's resolutions bring, I don't much care for the "all-or-nothing" "come out guns blazing" general tone of it all.
Being gung-ho can often backfire in a big way!
This year, I encourage you to be a little more focused on your general intentions and long-term goals instead of adhering to a strict new regimen. For example, instead of saying, "I'm going to get a workout in 5 days every week," try shifting the focus to, "I am going to put on 5 pounds of muscle and lose 3% body fat." With the first resolution of working out five days a week, there's no excitement in why you want to do that. But if your goal for the year is better body composition (more lean mass and less fat mass), that is way more motivating.
By shifting your focus from what to why, you will be far more likely to succeed.
When the goal is clear, and the reason you want to achieve it is exciting, you will start making better decisions that support reaching said goal. But if, instead, you're just ticking off a to-do list or marking Xs on a calendar, you will lose sight of why you are doing it all to begin with.
One of my intentions for this year is to get 7-8 hours of sleep on average most nights. Being a wife, mom, coach, author, etc., often leaves me feeling like I need to put off sleep later and later or wake up earlier and earlier to get all the things done in a day I want to. But I know keeping up that pace is not good for my wellness. I did not write down that I resolved to get to bed by 11 every night. Not only is that unrealistic, but I know that if I fail to get to bed by 11 for a few nights, I will feel defeated and probably give up on that goal. If, instead, my goal is to feel rested and refreshed in the morning so that I can tackle my day with gusto, I will start making small adjustments to my evening and morning routines to get closer to my 7-8-hour goal.
How will you adjust your resolutions to reflect your intentions for 2024? If you need a little help with this, please feel free to reach out. I'm happy to extend a complimentary 30-minute consultation to you if you are interested in learning more about my coaching.
And don't forget to pre-order your copy of Own Your Wellness coming out March 19th. In there, you will find not only tons of helpful nuggets like in today's blog but also an actual blueprint to help you design your own path to wellness.
Yours in health,
~Daniella