It’s a new year and everywhere we turn we hear, see and engage in advertising selling us the “New year, New YOU!” routine. We begin with the best intentions, we even write down our resolutions for the year to become the new you. We vow to:
- Lose weight
- Exercise more (or start!)
- Quit smoking
- Practice safe sex
- Get more sleep
- Work less, play more
- Read more
- Live a life that makes us happy
We begin the first week and we’re off and running – making all kinds of progress and then…
We fall back into our old habits. We lose interest or life gets too busy. Next, the onslaught of excuses for why we can’t, won’t or we’ll do it another time “after this or that” – and the cycle continues. Did you know that it takes 2 weeks of consistent behavior (at anything) to become a habit? Habits are hard to break, aren’t they? But, my goodness! Two weeks is nothing! We can begin a new habit in just two weeks. Start with something simple, so instead of stating, “I will diet” just have one piece of fruit a day. Replace one sugary snack with some veggies and hummus. Instead of “I will workout at the gym every day” just get 15 minutes of activity in each day. That could mean parking your car furthest from the front door at your job or school and walk that extra 10 minutes or so. Just do something positive for yourself.
How about this. What if we resolve to just love our self just a little more? Love the person we are and the person we want to become. Make small steps toward looking in the mirror and seeing the person who puts her best face forward each day, doing the best she can to eat right, get some activity in, love and respect herself enough to consider her reproductive organs and care for them as much as the man she’s sleeping with?
Start the new year off resolving each day to take better care of YOU. Love yourself. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.
