New Year, New Goals!

It truly is amazing how fast time goes by. I am now in Week 7 of my Ironman training and already we are 12 days into the new year. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and were able to spend quality time with family, friends and yourself!

As we head into a new year, I am sure you have been overloaded by social media on topics such as  detoxing, cleanses, weight loss, and goal setting. I know I have and I felt myself beginning to stress out thinking about what my goals were going to be for 2015!  Then my husband forwarded an article to me called "Happy New Year! 12 Steps to Thriving in 2015. " It was written by Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief at the Huffington Post and was posted on LinkedIn.  I was blown away by her article.  It was the first one that I read this year that made me stop and re-evaluate what I wanted to accomplish in 2015.   Her article made me reflect not on my financial or fitness goals, but rather on my personal goals.  Her 12 steps were so simple and basic that I ended up changing mine to incorporate not one, but all of hers! Here is an overview of what I took out of her 12 steps.

1. Sleep more
2. Move your body
3. Meditate every day for at least 5 minutes
4. Let go of what does not serve you
5. Start a gratitude list
6. Turn off your devices at a specific time each day
7. Focus on your breath for 10 seconds
8. Pick an image that ignites the joy in you. (aka; Think of your happy place!)
9. Don't judge yourself or others and be more forgiving of yourself and others
10. Be kind and giving
11. Take the time to make a connection with others. (aka: Make eye contact)
12. Share your talents/skills within the community


It has been 10 days since I've read this article and already I have incorporated not one, but all of these 12 steps. Of course there are a few that I still need to work on such as #9, but I know with time I will get better as I continue to practice this every day.

As for the other 11 steps, they are simple and they really are simple! I mean, how hard can it be to go to bed earlier at night, even if it's just 15 minutes earlier? How lazy am I to not take the stairs instead of the elevator to move my body more? How busy am I that I can't afford to take 5 minutes to meditate or focus on my breath for 10 seconds? How selfish can I be to not write at least one thing that I am grateful for at the end of the day? How addicted am I to my devices that I can't shut them off or keep them in another room when I go to bed? How great do I feel when I think of my happy place, especially when I am stressed? How absorbed can I be to not be able to smile, or say hello to someone I pass by or make eye contact as I place my coffee order or open the door for someone? These are the questions I asked myself as I read her article and thanks to Arianne Huffington, I feel I am off to a great start for 2015 and I hope that you are too!

Stay active and anything is possible!
Donna


If you would like to read her article, I have listed the link below.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/happy-new-year-12-steps-thriving-2015-arianna-huffington?trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_ARTICLE_POST

Happy reading and happy New Year!