New Year’s resolutions that really make a difference are the ones that turn from ideas into habits. As a busy entrepreneur, it is not only important to sit down and take the time to make resolutions, but also it is important that you are realistic in setting your goals.
One of the biggest struggles when you are busy is that you need to take time every day to feed yourself in at least three ways: physically, spiritually, and mentally. The mental part should be aside from your work, whether that is reading or some other intellectual pursuit.
You should set goals in these areas, but goals that are realistic and achievable.
Spiritual
When it comes to spiritual goals, it is not about your faith. It is instead about caring for your inner self, your soul. This can include faith, but some common goals that are truly achievable have nothing to do with a single belief system.
-
Pay attention to people over pixels: When spending time with others, put away your phone and electronic devices. Be present with them, listen and engage.
-
Pay attention to your soul: The things you let influence you do have an effect on your soul. Choose your influences carefully and turn away from hate, toxic social media rants, and people who continually insult those around them.
-
Increase your kindness: Behave generously even when you don’t want to, and be kind to others until it becomes a habit. Your actions can influence your mind and body. What you do can change how you feel.
-
Choose someone to forgive: Is there someone you have not forgiven, even for years? Resolve to let that go, and forgive them even if that forgiveness is not mutual. Unforgiveness is poison for your own soul, and letting it go will make you a better person.
-
Forgive yourself: Often the hardest person to forgive is yourself. Made mistakes this year? Forgive yourself for them and move forward determined to do better.
Spiritual goals often seem vague, but they do not have to be. Be specific, and set timeframes and short-term goals of how to show kindness, and what influences to cut out when.
Diet
It’s easy to make resolutions, but harder to keep them. There are some realistic ones that you, no matter how busy you are, can both make and keep.
-
Go Slow: Take easy steps to change how you eat. Brown bag your lunch three days a week. Designate a day as fish day to get more Omega-3’s. Choose raw veggies you like to use as your mid-morning snack.
-
Water: Resolve to drink more water, and use a water bottle and even an app to track how well you are doing.
-
Eliminate Mindless Eating: Try not to snack between meals in a mindless way, munching as you do other tasks. This can lead to overeating along with a tendency to eat things that aren’t good for you.
-
Try a jumpstart diet: At the beginning of the year, explore how to lose your stomach fat in 30 days by taking on a strict, short term method to jumpstart your weight loss goals.
Diet can be tough, and changing things too rapidly or in an extreme way can make this even harder. Choose to take easy steps, and set realistic goals you may be able to achieve with a simple program.
Exercise
Exercise is another area where it is a struggle to set realistic achievable goals marked by short-term successes. Many people set lofty goals, and when they seem unachievable or they don’t make the progress they want to, they quit.
-
Start Slow: Much like diet, it is important to start out slow and build on your progress as you go.
-
Join a Group Activity: Take up a sport, join a team, or attend classes at your gym.
-
Have a well-rounded routine: Get help from a trainer if need be and start a routine that involves cardio and full body workouts
-
Find an accountability partner or workout buddy: working out with someone is easier, and having someone who also holds you accountable is vital.
-
Start a Workout Journal or Activity App: Record your workouts so you can look back on them and share your progress.
Either way, resolve to take time every day to exercise, even if it is only for half an hour. As you progress, build on your success, and increase the time and intensity of your workouts.
Mental Health
Mental health is important, and it is something you also need to engage in nurturing every single day. However, these goals tend to be vaguer. Still, instead of just resolving to meditate every day, you can resolve to do some very specific things through that meditation.
-
Become More Self Aware of my Emotional Triggers: Do this by mood charting or recording moods in an app or journal. This way you and your therapist can look back on them and see patterns, and determine how best to deal with them.
-
Practice More Compassion for Yourself: Much like the goal of forgiving yourself, this also means going one step further, and doing things for yourself that show you love and care for yourself as well.
-
Take Ownership for What I Do and Say: This means taking responsibility and being accountable for your words and actions.
-
Resolve to Write and Read More: Journaling and reading books that build you up mentally is a very important way to care for your brain and your mental health.
Your mental health is as important as your physical health, and if you need it, get professional treatment. The state of your mind can affect your body and your spirit as well.
Takeaway
When you make New Year’s resolutions you need to be realistic about how much time you have, and how busy you are, and what you can realistically handle. However, this does not mean you don’t need to be ambitious, and set goals that will help you nourish every aspect of your humanity every single day. What are your health resolutions for the new year? Leave us a response in the comments below.