Are You a New Year’s Resolution Newbie, Master or Flunkee?
Turning the page on the new year is a chance to wipe the slate clean—and to be better versions of ourselves. And when it comes to what we want to improve, goals that fall in the health and wellness area top all other New Year’s resolutions, such as exercise, eating healthier, or getting more sleep. There are three types of people who choose a goal from the health and wellness category as a New Year’s resolution: the resolution newbie, the resolution master, and the resolution flunkee.
Resolution Newbie. Maybe this is your first time making a commitment to your health and wellness. Good for you! Whatever your goals are, taking that first step is a big one, so you’ll want to be sure that you’re prepared for the challenge. Particularly when exercising for the first time or returning to an active lifestyle after a long hiatus, it’s important to have the proper information and tools to be successful. And that means tapping the healthcare resources available to you: Clinicians like nutritionists and physical therapists can make sure that your body is prepared to take on new challenges and work with you to a design a program that will help you achieve your goals.
Resolution Master. Perhaps you fall into a different camp: You vowed to get healthy in 2020 and you achieved it! For 2021, your resolution is to continue the work you’ve begun. After all, living a healthy lifestyle is a lifelong commitment; it’s not something you do for a while and then revert back to your former habits. As you prepare to embrace the new year, are there any small tweaks you can make to advance your goals? Maybe you’re thinking about training for and running a half marathon, but don’t know where to begin.
Resolution Flunkee. Let’s say your plan for 2021 is to get in better shape and improve your overall health, but this isn’t your first rodeo. Your 2020 resolution was similar but it’s one year later, and you’re in the same place you were on New Year’s Eve 2019. What stood in your way? Did you have a plan? Without planning ahead, you’ll find yourself staring down the year of 2021 with the same goal in mind. Maybe you made sleep a priority, which in turn helped you to make better food choices at breakfast, but by afternoon, you found yourself choosing to energize with a soda and candy bar when all you probably needed was an apple and a 15-minute walk. Take some time to think about the previous year—good and bad—and take with you what you need and leave the rest behind. Afterall, you can’t plan where you’re going without understanding where you’ve been.
Blessings in 2021!
