Finding your groove post-New Years

Happy New Year! I hope you had a fun and safe entrance to 2023! Now begins the struggle of remembering to write/type 2023 and not 2022. I'm open to hearing the over/under on how many times we'll be typing 2022, deleting the 2, and re-typing 2023 over the next three months. As we learned last month, I'm not as big on New Year's resolutions as much as I am big on goal setting in general and feeding off of the New Year motivation and energy. On New Years Day, I wrote down my personal, professional, and financial goals for 2023. They weren't big, crazy, or flashy, they're just goals that provide me direction and keep me involved in growth throughout the year. I encourage you to do so, as well. Again, they don't need to be big goals. Just ones that you can work toward over the year and beyond. Once you have your goals established, let's get in the groove and start feeding off the new year energy. Reestablishing routine after a wonky 1-6 weeks of pleasant (yet chaotic) Thanksgiving + December holidays is challenging. Begin by taking small, actionable steps. Small actions = big changes over time Think of it as a puzzle. If you want to complete the puzzle, you can't just dump out the box and say it's done. The puzzle pieces are everywhere! You also can't just dump out the box and assume someone else is going to do the puzzle for you. You can get some help with it if you ask, but this is YOUR puzzle so YOU have to finish it. You have to flip over all of the puzzle pieces. You have to start matching the edge pieces to build a base by going for the easier shapes and colors first. You have to start filling in the inside, again, by going for the easier shapes and colors first. Before you know it, you've finished the puzzle! All it took was time, patience, and consistency. The same goes for taking action and building habits to achieve your goals. Your puzzle = your goals. These are YOUR goals. Please, ask for help, but these are YOUR goals, not theirs. Flipping over all the puzzle pieces = identifying all the areas that contribute to your health (fitness, nutrition, sleep, stress management, hydration). Matching the easiest edge pieces first = making the smaller, easier changes first. Filling the inside of the puzzle = building off of the smaller, easier changes you've already made. Finishing the puzzle = continuing to be consistent with your habits once you've achieved your goals (and beyond!). Time, patience, and consistency will bring you to your goals.