January is a time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year. Often after the slump of the holiday season, we find ourselves eager to get back on track. We join gyms, start diets, and insist that this year is going to be our healthiest year. And yet, by the time spring comes around the momentum is gone and maintaining our commitment to our healthiest year grows challenging. But it doesn’t have to be this way. These five easy steps will help you make 2017 your healthiest year ever.
1. Set achievable goals
A big mistake people make when making resolutions is setting their sights to high. I remember one January 1st when I insisted I was going to stop eating sugar and go to the gym every single day. Needless to say, I slipped up. Within the first month I had missed a few days at the gym and by the time my birthday came around in February there was no way I was refusing a slice of birthday cake. When we set unreachable goals, it is hard to stay motivated to achieve them. Your goals need to be realistic based on where you are in your life today.
At the same time, don’t get too vague. What does “eating healthier” really mean? If you want 2017 to be your healthiest year yet, you need to know what that looks like. When creating your goals for the new year, make sure they are realistic, but also make sure they are clear.
2. Focus on mind, body, and spirit
Health goes beyond the body. It has been proven time and time again that our body and mind are intricately linked and the health of one intimately affects the health of the other. To make this your healthiest year, you need to consider more than just how fit you are. We have a family tradition of setting three new year’s resolutions; one for the mind, one for the body, and one for the spirit or soul. I have found this framework to be really useful for creating holistic resolutions that really work together to make me my healthiest self.
3. Discover the root issues
For years and years one of my resolutions was to go to the gym more. But try as I might, I could never keep up with it. I always got angry at myself; I’m a determined person who cares about my health, why was this causing me so much trouble? Eventually I realized what it was; I hate working out in gyms. With a little trial and error I finally figured out fitness routines that I actually enjoy and suddenly staying healthy was so much easier.
If you really want this to be your healthiest year, try to get at the root of what keeps you from sticking to certain resolutions. Set goals that address those issues and are easier to stick to. It will help set you up for a successful, healthy year.
4. Get a fresh start
Our brains love habit, and habit can be a great thing, but it is also incredibly hard to break ourselves of habit. One of the best ways to break an old habit or start a new one is to make a sudden change. If you’re having trouble eating healthy, throw away everything unhealthy in your house and create a meal plan for the next week that is full of veggies. If you are having trouble maintaining a fitness routine, something like a yoga retreat can be the fresh start you need and set you on the right track for achieving your healthiest year yet.
5. Make it all about you
A major part of health is self-care. So make this the year of you. In addition to setting goals that are achievement oriented (like eating such-and-such way or exercising every so often), set a few selfish goals. One of my goals this year is to turn off my phone an hour before bed and use that time to care for myself (i.e. journal, take a bath, or read a good book). When you feel nourished and rested, you will find it easier to stick to your more challenging goals, so set a goal that’s all about taking care of yourself.
Ideally, we would all have no problem sticking to our new year’s resolutions, but we are all human and the fact of the matter is that each and every one of us is going to have an off day. So while you are setting goals and taking the steps toward making 2017 your healthiest year, remember to be kind with yourself. Remember that it is okay if you miss a yoga class or eat an extra cookie—sometimes that break or that cookie is what you need in that moment. These tips will help you have your healthiest year, but the best thing you can do achieve that goal is learn to listen to yourself and give yourself what you need. You’ll find you know more than you think. Here’s to a new year and a happier, healthier you!
