Let’s face it, New Year’s resolutions can feel like an impossible task to stick to, especially when you’re juggling life in New York City with three teenagers! But here’s the thing, while making big changes like these can be tough, they are also incredibly rewarding. For me and my family, setting attainable goals has always been our secret to improving both our physical and mental health in the new year. And no, we don’t have to hit the gym every day or completely overhaul our lifestyle to make it work!
Breaking old habits can be challenging, but trust me, the rewards are totally worth it. Whether it’s setting aside time for self-care or making little tweaks to our daily routines, there are so many ways to start fresh without feeling overwhelmed.
So, what’s the secret sauce to hitting those goals and sticking with your resolutions in the chaos of city life? Here are a few simple but powerful ideas:
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Healthy Eating
Firstly, I’m sure this is at the top of everyone’s list and it might be one of the most difficult goals to stick with on a list of resolutions. Having a positive outlook this upcoming year will help form new habits. This is a wonderful way to make big goals because we can start small here. Go for one extra vegetable a day or plan veggies and fruits with each meal to work towards healthier meals overall. When our bodies are strong, our growth mindset is unstoppable.
Staying on Top of Vitamins
Vitamins are not there to replace meals, but fill gaps in our diets. For instance, a lot of people are low on vitamin d in the winters because we don’t see as much sun or sometimes eat enough foods rich in this vitamin. It’s important to stay on top of our vitals and talk to our physicians to ensure we are filling all those gaps with the essential vitamins and supplements needed. This is not just for healthy habits but everyday function.
Hydration
Thirdly, this is often overlooked because a lot of us tend to forget to drink water. I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true! Our bodies are mostly water so we have to make sure we are drinking enough to compensate for any water we are also losing throughout the day. Hydration does a lot of things for the body both physically and mentally and making sure we are drinking enough water every single day is a small but mighty goal.
Exercise and Wellness
Everyone has specific goals when it comes to exercise and I want to be very clear that my exercise and wellness goals are focused on strength and feeling my best. There is no weight goal for me and I tell my family that the most important thing is that you feel strong and work on feeling your very best. It’s easy to push yourself and over do it here and it’s another one of those things where the little things all add up. In order to make achievable resolutions and achievable goals, we go slowly and work our way up from there. For instance, if I want to walk 10k steps a day, I’ll start by doing as much as I can on the treadmill in about an hour’s time and focus on other ways I can hit my steps throughout the day.
Journaling
It may sound a little cheesy, but taking a few minutes each day to jot down what you’re grateful for can seriously boost your mood. Plus, it’s a fun family activity! Everyone can get involved and share their gratitude lists with one another if they are comfortable doing so. New Year resolutions don’t need to be physical things, they can be mental. Small steps in our daily routine create a lot of change over time. It’s the power of manifestation and the whole family can have their own personal resolutions and start goal setting for 2025.
Organization
One of my family’s resolutions is to get more organized and stay that way! This is one thing the entire family can get in on. We actually have a shared calendar on our phones so we can see big things like sports games, travel plans we have, special occasions, appointments, etc. It’s a lot easier now that my kids are young adults so they can help be responsible for some of these things and keep organized with us. When they were little, we relied on wall calendars and having to remind each other of things but now the shared calendar helps us reach a common goal.
Read More
We do share as many book recommendations on the blog as we can but at the same time, I feel like we don’t read enough. There’s no amount of time that will feel enough. This is a great activity to have a screen-free day, wind down after a long day and an essential part of our bedtime routine. It’s a great opportunity to escape into a new world and relax before going to bed.
Meditation and Mental Health
I’ve heard amazing things about meditation for mental health. As a mom I want to not only be a role model to my kiddies but be taking actions to make sure my own mental health is at its best. There are tons of apps and alarm clocks now that have meditation functions or you can look at YouTube videos for short or long videos to listen to a guided meditation. Try yoga as the perfect opportunity to help your overall health and emotional health for your daily life as well.
Practicing Mindfulness
Finally, overall mindfulness is the key to happiness. I firmly believe that expressing gratitude and being mindful of yourself and others are essential life skills. We are all human beings living life for the very first time and we need to have patience. Staying mindful is not an easy task but we are starting to practice it more in the month of January to lead through the rest of the year.
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