Non-Negotiable New Year
A friend of mine told me recently,
“I don’t make resolutions because New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken.”
It got me thinking about ways to reframe the new year’s promises we make, and 92% of us will break, to ourselves.
I came up with this question:
“What activities and habits will I make non-negotiable in 2022?”
Let’s start with an assumption: You want to be alive for 2023. Ideally, you want to be fitter, wealthier, and happier.
Next step: how do we do that? The blueprint is pretty basic.
- Eat food that won’t make us sick.
- Drink enough water to stay coherent and hydrated.
- Breathe to the best of our ability all the time.
- Move our bodies to expend energy, work our muscles and bones, so they do not atrophy, and focus our minds.
- Sleep at least seven hours for every 24.*
Those are the bar-on-the-floor bare minimum basics to be alive; therefore, they are our non-negotiable habits to cultivate.
Right off the bat, there are probably at least two or three items on that list that could be better.
Start there. Instead of resolving to go on a new fad diet, why don’t you promise to eat food that doesn’t make you sick?
Instead of buying three unique water jugs and resolving to drink a gallon of water a day, why not start with half your body weight in ounces?
Instead of resolving to get back to the gym, look at how you currently enjoy moving and do more of that? Love sitting and watching TV? Why not do some yoga or stretches during your shows? Love getting out for a walk? Why not go for two or four?
Resolve to stay alive for 2022 and do more of the stuff you already enjoy. That’s all the framework you need to make some fundamental life changes that will stick.
*Some of us need more, some of us need less. Seven is a good average to aim for and see how you feel. Talk to your doctor or a sleep specialist if you think there is a problem with your sleep.
