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2017: The Year of Health and Well-Being



Go big or go home.

When I launch into something new, that tends to be my mantra. Go big or go home. I'm not much of a half-asser.

So when I decided, after my annual January soul-searching extravaganza, to make 2017

The Year of Health and Wellbeing,

I went after it with gusto!

Here's how it all started...

When 2017 began (and when 2016 ended) I found myself buried beneath a big ol' pile of funk. 2016 had been a pretty great year--as most of the years of my life have been. But something about that run from Thanksgiving to New Years had left me drained and lifeless. So, as I do at the start of every new year, I began to assess. I sat down with my "Life Notebook" (the same one I brainstorm in every January) and started capturing ideas--what was I unhappy with, what were my goals, where did I want to place my focus and attention (and intention) as this new year dawned? (I really do love-me a clean slate.)


Well, I generated a pretty lengthy list. And when I looked over the list, I found that a lot of my goals and issues centered around a broader theme, one I named Health and Wellbeing. There were a few outliers, but I found that even with those, if I thought about them creatively, I could make them fit beneath my health and wellbeing umbrella.

So, I decided that that would be my overriding goal for 2017--to focus on, put intention behind and attention to, dramatically improving my health and wellbeing.

And I named 2017: The Year of Health and Wellbeing.

What does that mean, exactly?

For me, it ranges from something as seemingly simple as Floss Every Day to something as seemingly complex as Learning to Practice Mindful Meditation.

Here are the things that were on my brainstormed list:

- Reinstitute a regular yoga practice
- Walk the dog daily
- Drink more water
- Take supplements for health
- Develop regular meditation practice
- Focus on all-natural and organic solutions for everything (get rid of chemicals)
- Try to actually lose the weight/inches gained in last few years
- Exercise daily
- Get more, high-quality sleep
- Floss daily
- Schedule regular Me time
- Start journaling again
- Learn about and practice mindfulness and mindful mediation
- Share healthful practices with my family (and friends)
- Integrate essential oils into life for emotional and physical wellbeing
- Write daily
- Eat cleaner, healthier foods
- Give focused, daily attention to each family member
- Call friends more
- Blog more
- Read lots
- Travel more
- Do art more
- More family fun--outings, games, arts and crafts, movies, playtime, trips
- More decluttering and unsubscribing--cull down to what matters most
- Up my relationship game
- Let days be driven by values not to-do lists

Okay, so that's a pretty big list, right? And so many of those things are on my list in some variation or another every year. No joke. I think it shows a lot about what's important to me. But the fact that I keep having to reset the same goals shows that I'm letting other, less important but seemingly more urgent, things get in my way.

Well, not anymore.

At least not for all of these. I may not bring every one of the things on this list to life this year, but I certainly will bring some of them. And I'm certainly gonna try.

Actually, I've already begun.

Today is February 13. And so far, I have flossed my teeth every single day since January 1.


This may not seem like a big deal, but I have never in my life been able to establish a regular flossing habit. I tended to floss when I thought about it...once or twice a week, maybe. And I always got an earful about it when I went to the dentist. Well, I have high hopes for my March cleaning appointment as I will have flossed everyday for two and half months prior-- a definite step in the right direction.

Other goals I am on-top of so far this year-- drinking more water, taking supplements, losing weight and inches, learning mindful meditation, exercising daily, meditating daily, doing yoga, eating clean, using essential oils...

I plan to blog more about a lot of the new things I'm doing and sharing what's working for me. But for now, I just wanted to share that I'm doing it. And in doing it, I'm pulling out of my funk. The simple act of taking action and working toward my goals is making me feel better emotionally and physically.

I don't want to lose my momentum either. So, I plan to make a 2017 Mood Board to help keep me focused and motivated. I want to pick out a new journal for the year. I want to establish monthly challenges, like I did in January, to keep me actively working toward other goals on my list. And I plan to blog about it a lot to keep me honest.

In addition to 2017 being The Year of Health and Wellbeing for me. I want it also to be the year of Mindfulness, Joy and Gratitude. Those are the words and feelings that I want to drive my Health and Wellbeing. I have no intention of going after any of these goals in self-destructive or unhealthy ways.

All of my choices will be Mindful and driven by Joy and Gratitude and the things I really Value.

So be on the lookout for more about all of these topics. I will also be sharing more delicious, healthy recipes this year...and whatever else crops up on my path to wellness. I hope you'll be willing to join me on this journey. Follow along...and maybe join in. What are your goals for this year? What are you hoping to more of, or less of, or start anew? Do any of the things on my list resonate with you? Generate your own list. And then pick at least one thing off that list and make a plan. Go after it...with gusto. Try a little Go Big or Go Home. New and wonderful things don't need to start on January 1. They can start today. Right now.

Until next time... Be healthful. Be well. Be mindful. Be joyful. Be grateful. And let your days be led by what you value most, not what needs to get done.

Namaste.






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