HEALTHY RESOLUTIONS
Happy New Year to all of you! It’s time to turn the calendar from 2022 to 2023 and this is usually the time of year when people start making new year’s resolutions and accessing life goals. I would like to help you think about how to make HEALTHY RESOLUTIONS for 2023! One of the best ways I have found to make healthy and positive resolutions is to ask yourself three simple questions: WHAT, WHY and HOW?
WHAT?
Ask yourself what resolutions or changes do I want to make? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to save more money this year? Do you want to manage your anger more effectively? Do you want to be a better parent? It is really important to take some time to really think about the key changes or resolutions you want to make. You can’t change everything about your life, so you really need to focus in on the one or two things that if you accomplished them (or even partially did), your life would be much better. And the second key point here is to write down your resolutions or goals. Research shows we have a 42% better chance of achieving our goals when they are written down. This helps us focus on them and it is important to keep them in a place where you can see them regularly so you don’t lose sight of them.
WHY?
Of the three questions, WHY is the most important one. Simon Sinek, New York Times bestselling author, in his book, Start With Why says when he discovered the why question, it completely changed his view of the world and restored his passion to a degree multiple times greater than at any other time in his life. In other words, when asking WHY? it can revolutionize your life. When you know why you are making changes in your life or setting goals, you will be led by inspiration to take action rather than “shoulds”, shame or guilt. Inspiration leads to inner motivation and passion. These will help you succeed and give you a staying-power that negative thoughts and emotions never will. Once you have decided on what changes or resolutions you want to make, be sure to ask the vital question – WHY? Once you get your WHY, you will either move forward with passion to accomplish your goals or you will change your goals to get them in alignment with what really matters to you.
HOW?
After asking what and why, then ask the third question – HOW? This is a question that requires you to get specific. How many times do we say to a friend, “Let’s get together sometime.” The translation is, we should get together, but we probably won’t. Why not? Because until one person says “let’s meet next Tuesday for coffee at 9am” it probably won’t happen. This is also true when we make noble resolutions such as “I want to eat better” or “I want to save more money this year.” You have to ask the HOW question. How will I accomplish these goals? What will it look like to eat better? How will I go about saving money this year?
When asking HOW, we will want to think about other questions as well:
Time – how much time will it require for me to accomplish my goals? What am I really committing to?
Schedule – one resolution made by a lot of people is to get in better shape. This will mean starting an exercise routine or joining a gym/fitness class. The question then, for example is, “when will you schedule going to the gym in your day/week in order to reach this goal?”
Resources – what resources do I need to reach my goal or resolution?
Support – what support do I need? Do I need to purchase items to reach my goal? Do I need the help and support of other people?
These are three simple, but powerful questions to ask yourself as you set resolutions for yourself in 2023. Asking these three questions and answering them will be the difference between achieving your goals and just wishing they come true.
When you take the time to consider these three questions and thoughtfully develop the answers to these questions, you will give yourself the greatest opportunity to reach your goals, fulfill your resolutions and live a healthier life in 2023!!
May the Lord bless you as you set and reach for new goals in 2023!
See you next month,
Jack
