New Years Resolutions December 06 2017

Here we come around again to the end of another year. Time just flies, doesn't it?! We're amidst the holidays. The time of the year that includes the hustle and bustle of gift giving, making travel/family plans, and feeling hopeful as we near the countdown to 2018. 

You might be bombarded with the "New Year, New You" bullsh*t marketing tactics and campaigns that are trying to sell you a better version of you. The ones where they try to sell this 'too good to be true' concept but the product/service they are selling will finally help you do xyz. 

Listen. You don't need the fitness/diet/health industries tell you that you aren't good enough. Any organization that doesn't think you're a fantastic person right now isn't in your corner. You know -- the organizations that are labeling foods or activities as good or bad and preach the NO EXCUSES mantra. They don't have some magic pill that will erase all of your problems. The health/fitness industry makes over $24 BILLION dollars per year, so I don't think they always have our best interests at heart. Additionally, they're approaching the month (hello, January) that brings in the most income for the year. Know that you are a fantastic person RIGHT NOW and that while you should strive to make improvements, don't let someone knock you down from the get-go. 

I have a different approach for this time of year when I'm surrounded with pills, wraps, shakes, etc. that are trying to make me a better me. 

I like to rephrase "resolutions" as New Year intentions or goals. Last year, I tried something new for 2017. I chose a word that meant something important to me and I tried to channel that word for the rest of the year. For 2017 I focused on the word 'BOUNDARIES'. The definition of boundaries is: a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line. Basically, I wanted to define and stick to what is okay and what isn't okay with me. Boundaries became a major focus primarily within my work life and schedule. I set limits on when clients could book with me and put my foot down a little harder on my policies. I wanted clients to know what is okay and what is not okay. I realized how important it was for me and my clients to set limits. Around this time last year, I had watched a TED talk from Brene Brown about how important it is to establish boundaries. It was her TED talk that planted the boundaries idea in my head as my focus for the year. Not only are boundaries important for ourselves, but other people respect individuals who put boundaries in place and adhere to them. This really worked well for me and as the year progressed, I could notice the improvements it had made in my life. 

For 2018 my word is 'BRAVE'. The definition of brave is: possessing or exhibiting courage. Since moving to Florida, I realized that I have an opportunity to start fresh. But sometimes starting fresh requires a lot of courage. I am looking forward to channeling the word brave to improve multiple areas of my life. I want to be brave enough to speak up when I know I should. I want to be brave enough to try new things that I might not otherwise try. I want to be brave enough to harness things that make me feel uncomfortable knowing that I'll learn and grow from those experiences. I want to be brave enough to stick to my values, beliefs, and morals while maintaining respect for those who might express different opinions. I want to muster up all of my courage in order to embrace being BRAVE!

I also have a number of goals that I would like to work on. It is also helpful to breakdown your goals to get a better understand of what you need to do to accomplish said goal, what obstacles might get in the way, and what sort of circumstances do you need to be prepared for. 

• Make to-do lists (daily, weekly, etc.)
• Have a cleaning schedule 
• When is the best time of the day/week to get things done
• Can I recruit others to help me?

• Identify which certifications, events, etc. would be the most beneficial 
• Create an annual budget to fund for any training events, travel, and other costs
• Set aside time for studying