It’s that time of year again. As we hurtle toward 2018, thoughts naturally turn towards thinner waistlines, gym memberships, and the latest diet fad. At Provenance, we know how important practicing self-care is. But something about the latest round of New Year’s resolutions (which sound so similar to last year’s frankly) have us thinking it’s time for a change.
December is a wonderful time to be merry. Social invitations, holiday shopping, cookie swaps, and drinking with friends culminate in a fun and festive month. But oh, the unfortunate side effects of indulgence! One too many cocktails, overdoing it on cookies, and why exactly was I standing right next to the cheese platter all night?
Come January, we all feel the sense that something needs to be corrected, that we need to “reset”. Sadly, studies show that by February, most of those resolutions are forgotten.
Why are we as a society unable to stand by our resolutions each year? Why is it so tough to finish what we started?
Wikipedia defines “resolution” as “a firm decision to do or not to do something”. I think that wellness is so much more than a resolution. As opposed to “a firm decision” that happens once, wellness is more about small adjustments to our routine that become habitual, as we work towards the greater goal of overall health and happiness.
[As a side note, I feel the same way about “balance”. As Albert Einstein once said, ““Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” We have to move forward, even if it means taking risks or working hard on projects that take up all our time because we’re passionate about it, in the name of forward motion. After all, when you stop moving, you fall over!]
Last January I made a resolution to have more fun, travel more, spend more quality time with my husband and kids. Happiness, I find, is a sneaky shortcut to wellness.
The more satisfied you are with your life, the easier it is to make good choices.
So cookies and junky snacks sort of lose their appeal, and getting a good night’s sleep so you can enjoy your next day to the fullest becomes more important than streaming that latest Netflix episode.
So yes, I’m making a resolution this January. But not exactly the kind that we’re expected to make. Instead of the big sweeping gesture, I resolve to take a deep breath when I feel worried or stressed or angry. I resolve to look at my phone less and listen more when my kids are speaking to me. I resolve to drink water when I’m thirsty and to get up from my desk and stretch when I feel like I’m losing focus. It’s not that setting big goals are not inspiring nor achievable. It’s just that I know I can get there in smaller, more enjoyable ways than sheer force of will or self-discipline. These little things are just me being me, the best me that I can be. And I guess that’s what wellness truly means.
Here’s to a 2018 full of wellness and happiness for us all.
xo,
Caroll
Caroll Lee - Founder of Provenance Meals
Caroll is an avid cook, mother of two, Board Certified Health Counselor and the founder of Provenance Meals. Her passion in life is to feed people real food -- food that is raised, grown and prepared in traditional ways that are good for your health and good for the planet. Caroll practices holistic nutrition, understanding that a healthy diet must be combined with other sources of nourishment—loving relationships, enjoyable physical activity, meaningful work and spiritual connectedness—to reach true health and happiness.