Goals in the New Year

A new decade has arrived, and with it, a revived sense that the universe has opened a new door to reveal fresh light on our lives. Whether that means re-organizing our homes, setting a new budget, or making small or large changes, we all have an inner desire to create a life that embodies greater meaning and expresses more gratitude, peace, and joy. Isn't that what all the greeting cards said over the last month anyway?

A friend of mine said that she recently heard of something called "post-holiday depression". Interestingly, it would appear that our tendency in January is to push really hard to get the new year started off with a high intensity and purpose. However, many of us still need time to simply relax and simply let ourselves BE. In the spirit of the new year, my business recently launched a 90 day Healthy Habits Challenge. Needless to say there has been great intensity and focus for this challenge to birth, and in my own way, I am encouraging others to step up to the plate and battle to change their health through improved sleep, stress management, consuming more nutrient dense foods, and increasing their quality and quantity of exercise.

The catch is that we do want our lives to be more rich with healthy habits and to feel better about our bodies. The likelihood of this happening simply because we wish it would is pretty low. But there is something that transpires in us when we focus on our physical and mental health that strengthens our whole countenance. We are better able to handle life's ups and downs, we are more able to fully engage in our relationships, and we are more willing to take risks to express our true identity because we have learned how to love ourselves well along the way.

My suggestions to overcome your own Post-Holiday Blues?...

• Don't bite off more than you can chew.
• Set authentic and realistic expectations and goals.
• Be patient with the process.
• Cut yourself some slack.
• Always find fun in small steps and progress along the way.

Think of the movie Rudy. What would it look like for you to be your own Rudy? What would would you win at the end, and how will it satisfy your ultimate dreams?

image by quinn.anya