Wow - is it just me or did 2021 absolutely fly by? I wasn't even used to it being 2021 and it seemed we were counting down to the next yearI. Exception: the last 12 days or so. As you read this I'm in a sunny, warm location - somewhere in Panama to be exact. If all goes well we boarded a flight January 1 and arrived uneventfully in Panama. Once the decision was made to lay low until 'Go Time', life seemed to grind to a halt. I assure you that I am NOT complaining, but instead am so grateful to have these opportunities to travel as well as the good health to be active.
How are you welcoming in the New Year? I know we all wish for the end of the pandemic and getting back to life as we used to know it. Next question: do you make New Years Resolutions? This article shows that the success of resolutions is startlingly low. One study shows that at year end only 9% of those studied believed they were successful in keeping their resolutions. Another interesting note in the article is the different goals that generations have. Boomer’s goals are health oriented, Gen Z wants to find love and Millennials are most confident in keeping their resolutions.
(yes, the quality of this pic is not great, but I love Tina Fey)
I saw a recent blog post with an interesting idea for creating numerically based goals. Interestingly the vast majority of resolutions are health based, how about something like this:
In 2022 I will:
Go for a walk outside a minimum of 5 x each week
Add an extra serving of vegetables 4 x each week
Meditate for 3 minutes, 3 x each week
Cook a vegetarian meal 2 x each week.
Organize 1 drawer, closet or corner of the house, once a week.
I LOVE this simple idea! You will of course edit and incorporate the little changes you'd like to see. It's all about thinking of small incremental and ongoing improvements. Overall this could be really satisfying and fairly easy to stick to. If better health or weight loss is a change you'd like to see, make a few small habit changes such as walking, eating more vegetables and less meat, or daily stretching. I'm willing to bet that you'll start to see and feel changes soon.
(By the way, old habits are hard to break. I started biting my nails when I was about 8 years old -- the sad thing is I know I did it for attention (4th of 5 kids). I tried to stop for decades and was finally successful in my 50's. So if you are struggling with a habit, don't give up - there is hope!)
Don't delay - grab a piece of paper or your phone NOW & jot down your 5-4-3-2-1. What will it be? I would love to hear about your health by the numbers!
As always feedback is so welcome. I can be reached at patbirnie55@gmail.com or 905-330-5266.
Pat xo