Did You Follow Through On Your Resolutions?

With the coming of a new year also comes resolutions. Some can follow through with their hopes and dreams for the upcoming year while some may not be so lucky. People look at the new year as a new beginning and a fresh start. This is a good starting point to make changes in your life. Many people make resolutions for different reasons which means some may be easy to stick to more so than others.

Health

The most common new year's resolution is weight loss. People may begin a new detox plan, diet plan, or exercise plan. A detox plan will allow you to rid your body of all the toxins and dirty eating you may have indulged in during the holidays. Typically detoxing involves a cleanse and eliminating such things as sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. There are many diet plans out there that will promote weight loss as well. Most programs will take away certain items or tell you what to avoid, while others may promote you eating certain items. Exercise is also huge in the journey to weight loss. Gym memberships always ramp up during the new year because everyone wants to try and work off the holiday weight! As with diets, there are different methods and forms of exercise that people can try. You can try out different ones (like cardio, weights, aerobics, yoga, pilates, barre, kickboxing, CrossFit, etc.) to see what best fits your interest as well as your schedule. Some people may find it hard to fit a workout in with their daily schedule. Sometimes kids, jobs and just life gets in the way which is why New Years' is a good time to get that motivation you need to make it a priority. Now that some time has passed you can reassess your hopes and goals to see if they are working for you.

Health does not always involve just your weight. Yes, it is likely that if you are eating right and working out you are going to be healthy but it is more than that. Someone may not be a perfect weight but still be healthy. You also need to consider your mental well-being when it comes to health. It plays a huge factor in your health. If you are not in the right headspace or are not living life the way you desire then it may take some work for you to reflect and see what needs to change. Some common tools to decompress and relax include meditation or yoga. Reading is also a very useful tool when it comes to self-help. You may also need to take medication to help with your chemical makeup to help you cope with everyday life. With your New Year's resolution were you able to make that doctor's appointment for a mental health check? Did you continue to go and did it help? Did you see the results you were hoping for?

Financial

Besides weight loss, financial health is a common topic of resolutions for the new year. People typically either want to save more or make more. They do not like what they are doing with their money. For people who want to save more, they can plan to focus on reading books or listening to podcasts to come up with a plan to save. You could be saving in general or you could be saving for a particular thing (college, trip, wedding, etc.). Either way, you can come up with a plan and once the plan is in place then you can be motivated to put it into action. How is the savings plan working out for you? If you aren't able to achieve what you originally planned to then you can adjust your plan accordingly to carry on throughout the remainder of the year. If people are unhappy with what they are doing with their career or are just wanting more, may look into a new position. The new year often brings a change in the workplace because people will typically wait around for their new year bonus before moving on. Businesses also tie up their year-end books and may be able to budget for more or new positions. Either way, the new year can be a great time to change up your career. If you decided to make that change for your new year goal hopefully you have succeeded in your new venture and are enjoying it.

Family

Individuals want the best for their families. When it comes to either their kids or their spouses, they may be looking to give more priority to the family or a particular unit in the home. If your kids have been slacking on a consistent bedtime, are getting more junk food or screen time than they should be, or you find yourself losing patience with them. The new year may be a good time to focus on these initiatives to make a change for the better. If you resolved to spend more time with your spouse, how did you go about doing that? Hopefully you were able to build in some date nights or even a few weekly meetings to help you engage with each other and connect more.

Everyone has room to grow in their life. Whether it be your health, finances, or family there is always a plan that can be put to action to bring positive growth. Hopefully you were able to let the new year be the time you took positive steps and followed through with the resolutions you intended to achieve and uphold.