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
