Starting over. The allure of “New Year’s” and what it represents in our minds and spirits. A time for renewal. It’s a time to re-assess, re-group and do a little “control-alt-delete”.
For me, 2014 will be a huge leap of faith. I resigned from a job that was making me totally miserable. I believe that when you are unhappy in your job it reflects everything else in your life – your relationships with your friends and family and most importantly, your health. I was coming home and going straight for a glass of wine and a cigarette to “release” the day.
Launching this website will be a huge undertaking, however, for the first time since college I’m involving myself in something I really believe in. What is so special about Jersey Girl Health and Wealth is that it’s a “giving” project. It’s something that I’m creating for my friends and family…and future friends. It’s for you! It’s a place to “release”, a place to connect with other women in New Jersey. It’s a place to get that “oh good, it’s not just me” feeling.
New Year’s is all about letting go of the past. Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Well, the toxic ones from our past…fo’ sure! As we let go of the past, we are always looking ahead to develop into the best person we can be. We watch shows like Dr. Oz to try and feel our best, read fashion magazines to look our best, etc. etc. In that never ending quest, JGH&W is here to keep it personal, keep it local. It’s just for Jersey Girls!
So going forward…how are we going to be our best selves in 2014. Oh the New Year’s resolution. It seems to be a dying concept due to our lack of discipline and commitment. We tend to just get back into our old routines. Maybe it’s time for a new approach, a new way to develop NEW routines. Christians all over the world commit themselves to some sort of sacrifice during lent. Muslims fast during Ramadan. However, committing to a New Year’s resolution doesn’t necessary have to be about sacrifice. It’s about change…good, positive change. When people go on diets, the latest approach people try and instill is not dieting, but changing their lifestyle. So the million dollar question…how?
Utilizing my Occupational Therapy education pertaining to goal setting, I have a suggestion for a new approach. I am going to call it the “week by week approach”. There are 52 weeks in a year. So…
Step one: Get a calendar. Use the one on your phone, or a datebook you can keep in your purse, or a huge wall calendar – your preference
Step two: Brainstorm 52 small changes or things you’d like to try, or things you like to eliminate from your life. Here are some examples (some are for myself). Remember, the commitment period is only one week.
– I will switch to 2 percent milk in my coffee all week
– I will decrease my coffee from 2 cups to one everyday for a week (or to a half cup from
one cup, you get the gist)
– I will do squats while I brush my teeth for one week
– I will not bite my nails, nor my cuticles for one week
– I will send out one email a day to an old friend for one week
– I will organize one shelf of a cabinet each day for one week
– I will meditate or pray for 3 minutes every morning
– I will make my bed everyday for one week
– I will eat 6 small meals a day for one week – no gorging myself
– I will drink 6 bottles of water everyday for a week
Then…write one weekly goal on each Monday. If it goes well, go for 2 weeks.
The hope is that some of these changes will begin to naturally become a part of your lifestyle.
Please add your ideas for “one -week resolutions” below in the comments section. Give it a try and share your experience!
-xo
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