Most kids probably don’t even think about new year’s resolutions, let alone set goals for themselves for the coming year. That is in part because kids pretty much live in the moment. They aren’t thinking about tomorrow let alone next year. But some do and if you are one of them... congratulations.
Thinking about the future though, can be very helpful. And planning for and making decisions about the future increases the chance of becoming who you want to be. That’s one of the most AMAZING things about us as human beings. To a larger degree than we can imagine, we get to choose who we want to be!!!
Who we are, to a large degree, is based on the small, seemingly insignificant decisions we make every day. Are you athletic? It’s likely because you have played your sport almost every day last week or maybe for years. Can you play the piano? It’s because you practiced most every day, day after day, for a long time. Who you are doesn’t just happen by accident. You become who you are little by little every day.
Of course, that means the opposite is also true. Maybe you are not as healthy, or as friendly, or as tidy as you would like to be. That too, happened little by little, day after day. And listen you can’t do anything about yesterday, so forget it. But what you can do is make better choices today to ensure a happier healthier tomorrow for years to come. If you think this sounds promising and want to give setting some New Year’s resolutions a try, here are a few tips to help you along:
Focus on the positive
Choose something you already do well and use it to springboard into something else good or even better. Maybe you are a good reader. Ask yourself how you can use your reading skill to get good at something else or even better at something you already do. Maybe you could read a book that teaches you something new. Or maybe use your skills to help somebody who doesn’t read well to be more friendly.
Keep you list short
Trying to change too many things can set you up for failure. Decide on two or three things and make sure they are specific and measurable. For example, I will drink eight cups of water every day.
Don’t let failure make you quit
Expect to have setbacks, this way IF they happen, they won’t make you give up entirely. Just get back to your goals the next day or as soon as you can. Doing something well SOME of the time is always better than doing it NONE of the time.
And there’s good news, you body and brain want to help you along the way. It doesn’t have to be New Year’s for you to start forming good habits, setting goals, or making good decisions. You can start anytime you want to form new habits that will lead you to become the person you want to be in 2022 or beyond.
Your body is smart, and your body is strong. Part of creating good new habits requires stretching and rewiring your brain. The AMAZING thing is your body CAN do that!
Whenever you learn something new, messages travel across your nerve cells from one neuron to another. With repetition, your brain starts to create connections, or pathways, between the neurons so things become easier, and you get better and better at doing whatever it is you are trying to learn. The important part of developing these pathways though is repetition, so don’t give
up. Every minute of every day, your body is adapting to the ever-changing environment around you. It’s totally AMAZING and as long as you are alive, you will have this incredible ability!!! Creating new habits can be challenging but the good news is that with persistence you CAN DO IT!!! Keep at it and 2022 is sure to be your best year yet!!!
—By Judy Nutz Campanale, DC, ACP