It is officially 2013 – the world did not end back on 12.21.12, so we have no choice but to press on and get some stuff done! Many people set goals for the New Year such as losing weight, getting in shape, eating better – the list goes on. I’m going to make slightly different recommendations this year – some that may make it a little easier for you to get started.
1. Accept Yourself
No matter your size, shape or abilities, the only way to decide where you are going is to get real with yourself and accept who you are. You may not like yourself. You may not feel like changing because you’ve tried in the past and it didn’t work. You may feel like everyone is looking down their noses at you because you‘ve failed to live up to their expectations. FACT CHECK: this isn’t about them, it’s about you. It’s about you being the absolute best “YOU” you can be!
2. Challenge Yourself
Lasting change is never easy. It is always rewarding.
We live in an “instant gratification” society. We want it all and we want it NOW! Just watch television and you’ll see it – cool cars that make us more attractive, appliances that make your dinner and wash the dishes, make-up that takes 30 years off your appearance, fitness machines and DVD’s that will give you the perfect body in 3 1/2 minutes a day, medicines that promise quick-fixes to all of your ills… FACT CHECK: there is no magic pill, potion or lotion. There is hard work, dedication and commitment to making the best choices for your long-term health. You don’t have to change everything at once – it’s the little things that add up to big changes over a lifetime. Commit to drinking one more glass of water than you normally do. Add 1 new vegetable to a meal 3 times a week. Park farther from the building when you go to work. Plan your weekly menu with your kids, get their input and use it as a learning tool for the whole family.
3. Create Yourself
You create your life as you go along. Where you are right now, geographically, physically, financially, spiritually, is a result of choices you have made. If you don’t like where you are, you have to make a change somewhere. An object in motion will tend to stay in motion – in the same trajectory – unless an external force is applied. FACT CHECK: nobody is going to do it for you – this is on your shoulders. The speed and trajectory of your life and health are a product of what you’ve done up to this point in your life – if you want to go in a different direction, you’re holding the steering wheel. As Winston Churchill stated, “We are still masters of our fate. We are still captains of our souls.”
We have some great tools to help clarify your goals and aspirations for 2013 available in our office. This year is a clean slate – a new beginning – make it count and make the changes you know you must to make the year – and your life – the best you can make it!
