Blog: The New Year

Well, the New Year has started and I’m assuming many of you, as I did, chose to make New Years’ resolutions again this year. Do your resolutions always tend to be the same? Lose weight. Become healthier. Save money. Pay off debt. Have less conflict with loved ones. Did you stick with your resolutions after a month or so last year?

Getting started on making changes can be fun. We are “pumped,” excited, ready for change. What happens? Life. That’s what happens. Life gets in the way of so many things. You run late. Forget to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Soccer practice is right around dinner time. Your child/husband/you gets sick or injured. The bed sounds so much better than waking up an extra hour early to go to the gym. Been there. Done all of these.

The most valuable lesson I have learned from this is to not make resolutions. Make life changes and be ok with the hiccups you have along the way. In addition, find a support group that will help with motivation and accountability. Social media is an excellent way to find this. I am personally a part of a social media group about healthy life style changes. I dread those scale picture weigh-ins, but the daily enthusiasm I can always count on from these ladies keeps me coming back. No one has ever made me feel badly about not reaching a goal. They provide support, education, comfort and that kick-in-the-rear that is sometimes needed.

I encourage all of you to find a way to become a healthier you. De-stress your life. Spend more time doing things that will improve your quality of life. Eat dinner at the table with your kids and really be interested in hearing about their days. Don’t forget date night with your spouse. Eat less processed foods. It just makes you feel healthier to grab some strawberries from the roadside stand that sells for the Oxnard farms than some chicken nuggets.

Wishing you all a healthy and happy New Year!