3 months into 2023- I’m Cordially checking in on my friends-How’s it going?
By Sonya Camille
So 2023 started with a list of things you wanted to accomplish. A strong desire to stick with the goals you set for yourself. But, how’s it going? In January we said to ourselves, this is it. Promises to set, and establish healthy habits for ourselves. We know and understand that the beginning of the new year closes one chapter and opens a new one, symbolically marking a clean slate. This calendar change and fresh start brought about the setting of new goals or making resolutions-if resolutions is your thing, but why is it so difficult to stick to the goals we set at the start of the year?
Well, a potential answer to that question might be that goals for the new year are often a bit ambitious and require serious lifestyle changes. For instance, someone who doesn’t work out may set a new goal of hitting the gym four times a week. Though it’s a great goal, this will be difficult to achieve for someone who isn’t already in the habit of working out or setting time aside for the gym. In this case, it might be more realistic to start a new routine of gradually waking up earlier in the morning and moderating unhealthy foods. With the habit of slowly waking up earlier, you might find that now there’s much more free time in the day and it’s easier to squeeze in a couple gym sessions.
Healthy habits, like waking up earlier, are the key to success when it comes to achieving those big goals and resolutions. Though starting new habits and routines may not initially appear to have dramatic results, they certainly accumulate when kept up with. As James Clear, author of the renowned Atomic Habits, writes, “changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound and turn into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them.”
A great example of an everyday healthy habit is reducing screen time. Small squares of technology quickly consume several hours of the day. From Instagram to TikTok, it’s easy to get lost in our phones for longer than we’d like to admit, and we tend to start and end the day with them. Some might detox by opting for a complete social media hiatus–but some might start somewhere less drastic. One way to reduce screen time could be to set your phone in another room or farther away from your bed to ensure your phone isn’t the first and last thing you look at. This habit also means you’re more likely to get out of bed faster in the mornings if you have to get up to turn your alarm off.
A few other healthy habits to continue to work towards in 2023 include making time for self-care. Mindful meditation has been known to present new perspectives on stressful situations and create a more positive overall outlook. Meditation can reduce stress, control anxiety, promote emotional health and even improve the quality of your sleep.
We are told of the importance of meditation in Scripture. Joshua 1:8 tells us to “ Keep this Book of the Law (the Bible) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”. And Psalm 1: 1- 3 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” It seems that meditation and prosperity go hand in hand. Not advocating the prosperity gospel as many are promoting these days, but just emphasizing that there is a direct correlation between the benefits of believers meditating on scripture and prosperity-as stated in scripture, there is a connection. Another habit geared towards wellness is increasing water intake. Whether you kickstart your day with a glass of water or drink water gradually throughout the day, doctors agree that hydration is crucial for keeping the body functioning at its best.
The list of healthy habits is endless and can include routines to incorporate either daily, like saying good night to devices early, or occasionally, like a one-day juice cleanse to detox and give the body a quick reset. Whichever habits you choose to work towards, it’s important to learn what does and does not work for you, as everybody is different. So whether you are holding fast to the goals you set for yourself at the onset of the new year, or if you have fallen off the wagon, so to speak, I’m hoping that reading this may inspire you to hop back on the preverbal horse or keep going! Keep shooting for the stars with the goals and resolutions you’ve set for yourself but don’t forget to set up a healthy base of habits that will set you on a lifelong path to success. A path that will continue not just in 2023 but in the years to follow. You can do it, my friend, and Yes, you are worth it!