On the eve of the New Year, most of us are thinking about how quickly time passed and what’s awaits us over the next twelve months. The history of New Year celebrations began with the Babylonians, who originally started the practice in March, later changed by the Romans to January with the same basic premise: To celebrate the old and bring in the new.
January’s name was taken from the two-faced god Janus, who symbolically looks backwards at the old and forward to the new, and who was also known for endings, new beginnings, arches and doorways.
Through time and history, traditions and practices celebrated change and now, New Years can be mostly known for three things most people want to see change in the coming year: Improve their lives, change/form new habits and accomplish goals. The “how” behind those three is usually the mystery most people are not certain they will know how to accomplish on their own.
Instead of focusing on do this and don’t do that, look at whatever you want to accomplish from a different perspective:
*Is it sustainable? If you set a goal that is not sustainable, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment. It would be better establishing goals centered on the changes you can live with every day versus building a mountain you aren’t prepared to climb.
*Is it tangible? Whatever goal you are setting must have something you can see, measure or feel associated with in order to keep you motivated. “Invisible” goals = hard to accomplish.
*Is it of value? What you don’t value you will not appreciate. Whatever goal you set must cost you something (time, resources, effort, etc.) in order for you to be inspired in achieving it.
As a Nutrition Specialist, I work with people who have failed over and over again at reaching their goals to manage their weight. Most of them cringe at the thought of “dieting” (and so do I), and yet every year in January they start down the same beaten, worn out and dead-end path they’ve been down before thinking this time it might just work. Here’s what I tell them: Any word that begins with three letters that spell “DIE” is likely to come true!
Instead of directing them to “DIET”, I direct their path to “LIFE”, teaching them how to create a life plan versus a temporary fix. Once they shift their thinking, they begin to see how easy it is to change their life.
As a new year begins, start with asking your-self the three above questions. If you are a visual person, use visual affirmation to keep you focused. Get a diary, write down your goal(s)one small step at a time, marking them off as they are achieved. Make certain as you progress you can also see how they are benefitting your entire life and those around you. If whatever you are trying to accomplish is centered on yourself, the journey will be short lived.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Change your thinking and you’ll change your life!
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