Jumpstart your health and wellness goals for 2021. The start of a new year always offers the opportunity to begin again.
Last year, 2020 was a rough one for so many reasons. Personally, I went through the gambit of emotions and growth. It of course was the year my son was born, so 2020 will forever hold a special place in my heart. But it was also the year of so much loss and pain for so many. It was a year of survival in every way possible.
The Best Tips to Start Your Health and Wellness Off Right in 2021
So here we are 2021. A year to begin anew. And with that, we are given an opportunity to take inventory on where we are and where we want to go.
Goal setting and resolution making are a ritual of sorts in their own rights. For years I approached these rituals haphazardly without a thoughtful process. The end result 365 days later was often an unfulfilled promise followed by “there’s always next year”.
Well for 2021 I changed it up. This year I approached my goal setting in a thoughtful manner through the lense of my wellness journey. Using the 8 Dimensions of Wellness as my guide I took an inventory of where I am and where I wish to be in the various aspects of my life. After completing the inventory process I had a clear understanding of what areas in my life I wish focus my goals.
I’m excited to share this tip with you, so you can jumpstart your health and wellness goals for the new year!
Taking Inventory on Where You Are
Before we begin setting goals and resolutions that we spend all year trying desperately to keep, we need to have an understanding of our starting point. For the ultimate balance in 2021 use the 8 Dimensions of Wellness as your guide. Each dimension touches upon an important aspect of your life and each are ultimately interconnected.
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Using the 8 Dimensions of Wellness for a Successful 2021
To get started draw a pie chart and section out the 8 Dimensions of Wellness:
Physical: Are you comfortable with physical body and health? Do you prioritize self care?
Intellectual: Are you stimulated intellectually? Are you curious about things around you? Do you seek out more information? Are you taking opportunities to learn more? Challenging yourself to learn new skills?
Emotional: How are you coping with stressors? Are you comfortable with seeking help when needed?
Social: How have you relied on your relationships and community this year? Are you nurturing them? Are they fueling you?
Spiritual: Do your activities reflect your personal values and beliefs?
Vocational: Are you satisfied in the work you do? Does it reflect your personal values and beliefs?
Financial: Are you making informed financial decisions? Are you comfortable with your money management? Do you have a plan for your money?
Environmental: What is your relationship to the environment? Do your actions reflect your respect for Mother Earth?
Prioritizing Your Dimensions
Using the prompt questions to guide you, rate each dimension on a scale of 1 (in need of more attention) to 10 (feel good about where you are on this).
Once done you will have a clear understanding of which areas in your life you would like to give more attention to. I find that this exercise quickly breaks down what can otherwise be an extremely overwhelming process.
Setting Goals
Life happens. And it happens quickly. It may not be reasonable to set attainable goals for all 8 dimensions. The thing with goals is that we sometimes set our selves up for failure if we don’t “reach” them.
So let’s set attainable goals. Take the top 3 dimensions (the ones with the lowest numbers) you would like to work on and set reasonable goals for each. For example:
My Top 3 Goals for 2021 and How I am Going to Tackle Them.
Financial: My husband and I would like to buy a house in the next two years. We need to double down on our efforts to really get finances in order.
- Take an inventory of our finances.
- Make reasonable monthly savings goals and spending budgets.
- Dwindle down credit card debt by 15% each quarter of the year.
Physical: I would like to focus more on my physical health to support the demands of caring for a baby and combat any illnesses that may come my way.
- Focus on daily nutrition and commit to meal planning.
- Create a reasonable workout schedule that I can stick to.
- Grant myself grace during this process.
Social: I would like to nurture my relationships more. 2020 was a year that pulled many of us away from everything that we knew socially. The past year taught me not to take friends and family for granted. It highlighted for me the importance of community and how it can affect my mental state.
- Prioritize connecting with family and friends more through phone calls, sending letters and notecards.
- Call people as I am thinking about them to let them know they have been on my mind. (This sounds so simple but it is so important to do. I had two friends in my life that I lost touch with but would think about often. Sadly, they both are no longer here and I never took up the chance to let them know they were on my mind.)
Create action steps for each goal
Write out 3 action steps that you will work on week by week that will work towards achieving your goal. This step in the process is so important as it identifies tangible steps for you to take and make towards progress. Equally important is to schedule check-ins with yourself. Doing this quarterly will give enough time to analyze what is working and time to make adjustments.
Commit to the Process to Obtaining Your Health and Wellness Goals
What I love about this process is that it is fluid. You can take inventory of your dimensions periodically throughout the year. As one area moves closer to balanced you can shift your focus to another area that may need more attention.
Using this process to jumpstart your health and wellness goals for 2021 will send you in the right direction. It is going to be a great year.
What is your process at the beginning of the year? What works for you and why? Drop a line in the comments below. I love learning what works for others!