Green Mountain at Fox Run (Vermont)
We all know it takes more than New Year's resolutions to be successful at taking care of ourselves. But the New Year does provide a chance to reflect, readjust, and set new goals. Here are some thoughts on what you might consider as you negotiate the annual rite of New Year's resolutions.
If you don't enjoy it, you won't do it. If you consistently struggle with motivation to take care of yourself, look at what you're trying to do. To last, a healthy lifestyle needs to be pleasurable. Find the fun in eating well, moving your body and thinking positively. Then staying the course is a piece of cake
Aim to improve, not be perfect. Moving away from perfection lets us enjoy ourselves now, while we're on the road to positive change.
It's not about weight. Green Mountain focuses on pleasurable, healthy living because it feels good, and that brings us to a better place in our heads. Our physical selves follow suit.
Food isn't the issue, either. For many of us, battles with food serve to distract us from what is really going on - unhappiness, boredom, etc. Learning to cope with underlying issues provides much more than the temporary relief of food. That said, if we deny ourselves what we really want to eat, we risk adding feelings of deprivation to the mix. The key is to understand what we really want - sometimes it's the doughnut and sometimes it's not.
Own your feelings, even uncomfortable ones. They're guides to what you really need.
Celebrate small successes. Savor the accomplishment of each small step in the right direction. They're usually easier than big ones, and can take you to the same place.
