5 Healthy Habits For The New Year
First week of 2021… make it count.
It’s the start of a new week of a new year and I’m finally back home in New York City. I’ve mentioned before on my Instagram and my podcast that I haven’t flown on an airplane in 2020, and it was a personal preference to road trip back and forth between NYC and NC. My family and I drove last night and arrived early this morning around 3am. I took some time this morning unpacking and getting situated before starting out the day.
I’ll be honest: I’m not someone who usually sets New Year’s resolutions and goals every year. I find that setting goals every week and every month helps me focus on my goals. Most importantly: do what is best for you. If you are someone who can set yearly goals and stick with it, that’s great. If you’re someone like me who likes to set goals every week / month and focuses more on incorporating healthy habits, then I hope you find this post helpful as you’re setting your goals this week.
Today, I wanted to share FIVE HEALTHY HABITS that I’m incorporating into my lifestyle.
1) TREAT EVERY MONTH OR THE START OF A NEW WEEK LIKE A NEW YEAR.
If we live with the mindset that we should stick to our goals and resolutions once a year, it creates added pressure and stress to our lives. It we slip up one day or make a mistake one week, it makes us feel like it’s useless to keep going, and then we find ourselves waiting until the next year to try again.
At the start of a new month, I’ll jot down a list of what I want to accomplish that month. I break it up into categories: personal goals, social goals, and career goals. I then reevaluate bigger picture, where my focus lies and what I want to accomplish. I don’t just stop there. I break it up weekly — I spend my Sunday nights planning out my week. It’s a priority for me to sit down and spend time asking myself — what is it that I want to focus on, what are my goals I need to accomplish this week? I LOVE crossing out things on my to-do list. Little perfectionist things… anyone else feel the same way? I know I can’t be the only one.
We get caught up in wanting to GO BIG with our resolutions and DO THE MOST to make sure we sound great on paper. But sometimes the smallest of resolutions and goals are the ones that will propel us in the direction we are meant to go. Sometimes we look at big goals and think that’s what we should aim for, when really, it’s the small goals that will get us there. Don’t ever feel like you have to compare your goals to anyone else’s. That’s like comparing your chapter 25 to someone’s chapter 30. Everyone is on a different path, and to set your goals to someone else’s will defeat that very purpose.
2) NEVER STOP EDUCATING YOURSELF
And this can be in the smallest of ways. Last year was a reminder that we should continue educating ourselves and take action, not just talk about it because it’s trending on social media. It was a reminder that we still have so much learning and listening to do. I’ve started subscribing to news sources — MULTIPLE ones for greater learning and understanding at all perspectives instead of sticking to one news source. We should continue broadening our education and having conversations with people around us and people on the Internet. I have a group chat with my family where we’ll continuously talk about what’s happening around the world, news updates, our faith, and check in on each other. It helps us stay connected and hold one another accountable.
What are news sources you subscribe to? Where do you get your news?
3) ENDURANCE IN FITNESS
This year, I plan to increase my running distance and times. During quarantine, I trained my mind mentally and my body physically to run longer distances, and in the span of three months, I was able to reach that goal. I’ve watched myself grow stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally through my running journey. Quarantine reminded me how powerful our minds are when we go all in with achieving a goal we want to reach. But I’m not stopping there — I’ve set a goal to run at least one 10-mile run once a month. My sister and I both aspire to run a half-marathon this year. And if we reach that goal? On to the next one. The purpose of a healthy lifestyle is prioritizing fitness into our daily routine.
Instead of striving to “be fit,” this year, how are you approaching a healthy lifestyle? What types of fitness goals are you setting?
4) WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT
I’ve seen my faith being put to the test every single year. 2020 was no different than the previous years — just more challenges and difficulties, which is a part of our faith journey. Without the struggles and challenges, you can’t experience true faith. However, I’ve seen what I am like when my faith is weak. I’ve seen my faith fluctuate during times when I’ve felt distant from God. And instead of turning to him, I relied on those around me and my own voice over His. My prayer is to align and get closer with God again. Instead of venting to people, I want to pray about the situations that make me feel stuck, make me feel unworthy, make me feel like quitting, and make me unsure of which direction to go next.
This is my reminder for this year: walk by faith, not by sight.
5) GOODBYE TO STRESS
If you ask any member of my family, they will tell you that my stress reaches intense levels. I’ve experienced brutal stress hives more this year than any other years, an intense jaw pain where I had to rush to the CityMD because it was so painful, bought Epsom salt to soak in because my muscles were so tense, and even had to buy heat packs to wear on my shoulders and neck for days to help me move around the house… along with a whirlwind of emotions and mental outbursts that affected relationships. I’ve noticed what really brings down my stress and calms me down, and that falls in line with giving my stress and problems in my head to God. The more I let go of what stresses and bothers me, the more I feel peace inside of me. This year, I plan to lessen my load, close out the tabs in my head (and browser!), give my problems to Him, and find peace knowing that I can trust that He will make things happen in His time, and not mine.
What are your healthy habits for this year? I’d love to hear them!
Thanks for reading!
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