First and
foremost, let me say Welcome to 2014 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! OK, enough of the formalities, let’s just
jump right in!!
And so it
begins…the start of a new year. What
exactly does that mean, though? Yes, I
know what the calendar says, but in some ways, I wonder what the big hubbub is
all about, especially in regards to New Year’s Resolutions. Why is it only on January 1st that
most people decide to make resolutions for the specific year ahead? Shouldn’t this be an ongoing process, but
without the tag of “resolution” on it? Isn’t
this how we keep from being stagnant and grow as individuals, by striving to
make ourselves and our lives better each and every day? At least I know that’s how I live and view my
life. Granted, I tend not to call them
resolutions, but instead I consider them goals, and for good reason.
I don’t need to do this on January 1st, as in all actuality I
do it all the time. As an example, instead
of saying “I’m going to go on a diet starting January 1st and lose
x-amount of weight this year,” why not set a goal of eating healthier, real
foods every day? That will in turn
create a lifelong habit instead of a short-term goal that has an end point once
you lose the weight you set out to. I
can attest to this personally in regards to a “New Year’s Resolution” I made at
the beginning of 2009, which also happens to be a VERY common resolution year-after-year among
many females regardless of age. I made
the 2009 New Year’s Resolution to weigh a certain amount and fit into a “little
black dress” I’d been saving all those years (18 years at that point to be
exact) by my 40th birthday (which I turned in the early part of 2010…gave
myself enough time to lose the weight as I had 65 pounds to lose by then). Outcome was, I DID successfully accomplish
this particular New Year’s resolution and weighed what I set out to for my 40th
birthday, and I DID fit into that "little black dress" without struggling at all. However, because I lost the weight in a
relatively unhealthy way, I ended up regaining 20 of those pounds right back on
even before 2010 was over. Only when I
started eating healthy towards the end of 2011 and learning about nutrient-dense
food was I able to lose the weight I gained back, but I’ve also kept that
weight off plus a bit more AND I lost more overall body fat and inches without even trying,
all without ever feeling hungry or deprived, which many of us end up feeling
when we follow an unhealthy and/or fad “diet.” Plus, without
even having it as a part of my initial "resolution,” I significantly improved my
overall physical health, emotional well being, and I was able to go off of all but one
medication related to my Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. Goes to show what you can accomplish when you
don’t limit yourself to a single resolution, but set out on an overall
goal.
So, by
reading this, take a look back to January 1st. Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Is there maybe a way you can broaden their
scope and make them more of everyday goals to better yourself as an individual,
your day-to-day life, and your overall future instead of just being
pigeon-holed into one set outcome? This doesn't have to be about weight loss, this can be about ANYTHING you want to grow/change in your life. You’ve got nothing to lose and
there is no feeling of having “failed” if you did end up “breaking” your
original New Year’s resolutions.
Wishing you
peace, love, and happiness,
Kristyn
