I am not foolish enough to think come 2023, I’ll magically eat only salads and never touch a cheese cube or bowl of ice cream ever again. Eating healthy is always a goal but losing weight hasn’t been a resolution since I was a teenager. I’ve grown and evolved. Instead of resolutions I think about goals I would like to achieve in the next year. It helps me to add something quantifiable to my goals, but nothing is set in stone. I start thinking about the next year in the fall because I like to put healthy behaviors and habits in place well before the clock strikes midnight on December 31.
Additionally, each year I pick a word of the year which coincides with my yearly goals. In previous years my words have been savor, more and enough. For 2023, my word is energy.
Here are my 2023 Goals:
1. Only put my energy where I want to.
This is a two-fold goal I have been thinking about since early fall 2022. When I told my husband about this goal, he laughed and exclaimed, “Don’t you do this already?” Well, not as much as I
want to. I want to do it more.
My time is my greatest commodity, and my energy is not easy to replenish. I am guilty of giving mental real estate to undeserving people and situations. In 2023 I want to let go of the things I
cannot control (something I’m work on continually). For example, we are all busy professionals and parents. Nevertheless, I usually find myself in the position to reach out to make plans with others. When you want something, you find a way to make it happen. When someone tells me they want to connect, but then give me a litany of reasons why they cannot (kids’ schedules or being overloaded at work), I am nonplussed. What gives? No one is too busy to do things they truly want to do. The short answer is you do not want to do this.
I am guilty of making up excuses or giving ill-conceived reasons why I could not follow-through on something. Now I just say no thank you. The simple act of politely declining is something I feel many people could use more practice doing in life. Clarity is kindness.
If others cannot provide clarity and prefer to be shady, then I will put my energy elsewhere. Also, I want to be intentional about where I want to put my energy and provide clarity when I do not want to dedicate time and energy at the request of others.
2. Keep my cholesterol below 200
In 2022 I lowered my cholesterol by 10% (21 points) to get it down to a healthy 195 (anything below 200 is desirable). This was huge for me because I did this with diet and exercise instead of turning to medication. Consuming the right foods coupled with 30-minute walks has made a big difference. I want to maintain this healthy victory.
3. Walk 5 days a week
Walking as often as possible has made a difference in my overall mood, health and certainly cholesterol. I love walking and it’s been a part of my life since I was a pre-teen. I want to be resolute with my walking habit and challenge myself to walk numerous times each week.
4. Do at-home yoga videos 4 days a week
Since COVID, I have been practicing yoga at home and I really love going to my mat in my own home. I’ve been doing a nightly yoga video with my oldest daughter and one of my younger daughters wants to join us too. It’s a great habit to start while they are kids and certainly a nice way to wind down for the night.
5. Meditate 5 days a week
Admittedly, maintaining a daily meditation practice is challenging for me. However, I have noticed if I hit the snooze button on my alarm clock, sit up in bed and meditate for the remainder of the snooze, I start my day off with a better mindset. Feeling more awake and mentally prepared for the day is better than just rolling out of bed like the groggy and grumbling mama-monster I could be while trying to get my 3 kids up and out the door to school on time.
6. Drink green tea
I have read you need to drink nearly 7-8 cups of green tea a day to see the benefit of lower cholesterol. I do not think I’ll be slinging back 64 oz. of green tea a day but swapping out an
afternoon coffee with green tea is reasonable.
7. Write
I started a writing group with three other local writers last year and it has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Writing personal essays and sharing our stories together has filled my cup in ways I never imagined. Creating a safe space for deep human connection is something I always want more. Also, I love publishing blogs here and on my personal website. I even love writing in my journal. When I put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard, I can never quite know what will come out. Writing has been one of the first ways I learned to process hard things in my life.
8. Get a new country stamped in my passport
COVID really put a damper on my family’s burgeoning world travel experiences. In 2020 we had booked tickets for Denmark and Sweden. Well, that was cancelled. I do not think the world will
ever be what it was pre-COVID, but we can travel safely again. 2023 is the year to see a different part of the globe. Tickets have yet to be booked, but it’s only a matter of time.
