Instead of New Year’s Resolution why not New Resolutions for Life?
New Year’s resolutions are set because we typically want to accomplish something that brings
us short term results. We choose January 1st because it’s the thing to do; it’s a new year and
we start again trying to motivate ourselves to do the things we didn’t do last year or the year
before.
Some typical New Years’ resolutions include wanting to lose 15 lbs before going to the beach or
wanting to look better for our upcoming class reunion or maybe even just wanting to get rid of
that extra holiday weight that we swore we weren’t going to gain this year. Somewhere along the journey, we forget to actually pay attention to how we feel, what foods give us lots of energy, how much sleep makes us feel rejuvenated, how much movement makes us feel great, and/or what makes us feel bad.
New Year’s Resolutions can be a great motivator for change but not for many people;
according to several surveys only 4-8% of people that set these resolutions actually achieve
them. So let’s do something different. How do you set new resolutions for life? Start choosing to change things so that they are life affirmative.
1. Your body needs water, not crystal light, not diet soda, it needs water. If you aren’t drinking
water now start working up to 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day. Start
replacing those liquids that are not only not helping you but could also be causing health
issues with plenty of water. Get a great filter for your tap water at home or work and start
hydrating your body correctly. You will be amazed by what this does for your energy, skin
and maybe even weight reduction. For this area, I do recommend a ZERO water pitcher w/
filter. Start your day with 16-20 oz of water even before you have that first cup of coffee.
2. Add more natural food to your day. It is easy to get caught up in the world of convenience
and just open up a box or package for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some convenience
foods are healthy but most are not and not great for the environment either. Start making sure
that part of your meal or meals came directly from the earth. Add some fresh berries to your
breakfast, some dark greens to your lunch, and start replacing those biscuits, chips, and food
bars that lack nutrition and enzymes with more optimal choices.
3. Make movement part of your day. If you have a desk job set a timer and get up during the
day just to move. If you are drinking more water this helps as you will make more trips to the
bathroom. Park far away when running errands to increase the number of steps that you take
during the day. Set a goal and work up to 10,000 steps a day. You might be starting at 500 so
work your way up to 10,000. Plan daily walks after dinner as this is great for digestion, and if
you need a better reason to walk – volunteer at the shelter; it will help you with your goal and
make a dog very happy.
4. If you already move a lot all day long add stretching, yoga, or meditation to your day. If you
don’t belong to a gym there are many online resources and apps to assist you with many
modalities of recovery and lots are free. And maybe you add just one thing like stretching for 5
minutes every day and not just add it but do it every day – you will see and feel the benefits.
5. If possible create a routine for sleep so that you are going to bed at the same time every
night and waking at the same time every morning. Studies show that most adults need about 8
hours of sleep a night. Our bodies will recover from the stress that occurs throughout our day when
we sleep and it’s free.
Start choosing small things that you can do every day or close to every day for the rest of your
life. Replace sub-optimal choices with optimal choices. Small changes made every day will add
up to big changes over time. Start making life resolutions instead of New Year’s resolutions!
Beverly
CHEK Holistic Health Coach
IMS Level 1