Add, don’t subtract
As it pertains to your New Year’s Resolutions, instead of focusing so much on what you’re no longer going to do, or what you can no longer have, what if you focused more on what you can add to your life?
When it comes to your nutrition, can you add more water, protein, and fiber? What’s interesting with this shift is you naturally make some positive changes without white knuckling through what you can’t have. Protein and fiber naturally take longer to digest and tend to fill you up more so you feel satisfied for longer.
When it comes to exercise, can you add more stretching, strength training, and walking? I know it might be novel not to wake up completely sore and worn out, but the goal of exercise has always been to help you feel better by the end of the workout, not worse.
When it comes to lifestyle, can you work your day around how much sleep you need? Sleep is by far the most important thing any of us can do for ourselves. I know it’s going to come as a shock, but as an adult, you need at least seven hours of sleep. Lean into how normal you are here. The percentage of people who need less than seven hours of sleep is exceptionally small. Just because you feel like you can operate on less, doesn’t mean you should.
When it comes to how you speak to yourself, can you add more kindness and compassion? I have a rule of thumb for myself which is if I wouldn’t say it to a friend, my kids, or my dog, I don’t say it to myself.
The goal with each of these is to operate from a place of honoring and nourishing your body. The impact this mindset can have on us is far reaching. Think of it like your parents giving you rules just to be in control of you vs. your parents giving you rules to keep you safe and protect you. We might follow the rules our parents placed on us to control us simply out of fear and obligation. We follow them simply because we don’t want to get in trouble. In contrast, when we look at the rules our parents placed on us knowing they want to keep us safe, each time we follow that rule, there’s a subconscious investment we make in a deeper, more meaningful, future relationship. I can’t think of a single scenario where operating from a place of trust and love does not produce greater dividends down the line.
This year, can you make it the year you begin to make healthier choices out of a love for your body, instead of obligation? What are some other ways you can add instead of subtract?