Start the New Year Off Right

Ah, the start of a new year-- bright and shiny with the promise and hope of good things to come.

But is January 1st really any different from December 31st? Will this next year be the best yet? Well, a lot of that is up to you.

Start the New Year off right with these five tips.

Revisit your why

Take time at the beginning of the new year to revisit and reevaluate your priorities as an individual or with your family. What do you value? What is the driving force behind your actions and decision making? What is your why?

There’s the old saying “He who has a why can overcome any how.” Maybe you want to develop healthier habits so you can be more present to your children, or so that you can better glorify God through your body.

Understanding (or remembering) where you place your value can help you determine your goals for these next 12 months and give you the motivation you need to accomplish them.

Get S.M.A.R.T.

When making your resolutions or goals for the new year, make sure you’re setting S.M.A.R.T goals.

A S.M.A.R.T. goal is something that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-focused, and Time-Bound.

For example, instead of making your goal for the new year “get healthy,” consider saying: “I will work out 5 days a week” or “I will be able to run a 5k by November.” In doing so, you can help clarify your ideas, focus your efforts, and use your time and resources wisely to actually help you keep your New Year’s resolutions.

Declutter

While it’s not really the season for “spring cleaning,” ridding yourself of clutter can help you get the fresh start you need this January.

Identify the biggest sources of clutter in your life and get to work. These sources could be physical, but they also might be technological, mental, or spiritual.

Perhaps, you need to take time to organize the papers covering your desk, or cleaning out your garage. Or maybe you need to unsubscribe from a few email lists, unfollow certain accounts on Instagram, or set a screen limit on your phone.

Removing the clutter from your life can help make space for more important things (remember your why!)

Cultivate gratitude

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and anticipation for new changes at the start of the new year, but a huge way to start the year right is by cultivating gratitude for what you already have.

Studies have shown that gratitude “helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”1

Cultivating gratitude in your daily life takes only a few short minutes a day, and is well-worth the effort.

Feed your body, mind, and spirit

God, in His infinite Wisdom, created human beings as a composite of body and soul. This beautiful truth means that the integration of body, mind, and spirit is necessary to become the person God created you to be.

When setting your goals this new year, make sure you are making time to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

And when you take a Pietra Fitness class, either with a live instructor or in the online studio, you can do just that. Pietra Fitness combines stretching and strengthening exercises with Christian prayer and meditation to help you enrich your body, mind, and soul.