In just a few short weeks it will be a New Year (a New Decade!). A new start. A fresh page in the story of your life. For many, the past year has been full of surprises, dreams fulfilled, new opportunities, blessings, health, and joy. For others, 2019 was overwhelming, filled with unexpected sickness or loss, full of disappointment, or hope deferred. So much can change in a year.
We get excited for the new year—we make New Year’s Resolutions—we anticipate changing our lives, and…We Fail! Why? Simply making the decision to lose weight, eat health, and exercise is not enough to overcome the barriers that hamper your success.
Developing sustainable, healthy habits that help your body build health and prevent disease is essential to keep you on track with your health goals in 2020.
As one year comes to a close, and a new year begins, it can bring so many unexpected emotions for so many of us. Many self critics are remembering what didn't happen or change, or are reminded of goals not met. The optimists have already listed and organized their goals for the new year, and are ready to start crossing them off.
Whatever crossroads you find yourself at this year's beginning, it's normal to look back and evaluate, celebrate, or feel over or underwhelmed by the past year. Remember it's just a page in your story. We can chose to write the ending however we like it. So let's give ourselves some grace, a bit of a break. We are just human. We fall and rise. We fail and succeed. We get knocked down, and get back up and keep going.
If that's you, you're in good company. Some of the greats paved the way before us. Remember Walt Disney? He was fired early on from a newspaper because he "lacked creativity." Thomas Edison? Teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." What about Michael Jordan? He was cut from his high school basketball team. What about Abraham Lincoln? He failed in business over a dozen times. Just think if any of them would have given up, history would literally be re-written.
Brene Brown says it great in her book, Rising Strong, “Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we’ll ever do. I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time. Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
2018 was practice. 2019 was a warm up. 2020 is your year!