The Chapdelaines

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The first day of the new year is the universal time to “start over.” As humans, we love that restart button and another chance at the goals that we are claiming. Unfortunately, this happens every single year with a lot of failure in between. We set ourselves up for perfection and inevitably fall short, time and time again. Because of this, I see the importance of setting goals that are actually obtainable, and that will better us as people. Something that you can feel good about, and that makes you grow personally, but doesn’t break you or your confidence. The last thing we need is to be critical of ourselves for not reaching perfection. Health is mind, body and soul, so I added a little bit of everything in this list. Find an area of your life that needs a boost, and consistently care for yourself in that way.

1) Save Money. I can’t put a dollar amount on this for you but if you have no idea where to begin, a really good baseline is $100/month. We focused on saving and transforming our spending habits in 2018 and it has completely changed how we are living and how we are looking forward. Spend less, get off of depending on payment plans for everything, sell extra “things” that you don’t need. Downgrade until you can (actually) afford to upgrade your lifestyle. Consider building multiple streams of income, especially passive income to work towards financial freedom. Some books that were helpful in changing our money mindset were “secrets of the millionaire mind” and “rich dad, poor dad.” Even just reading these can be your resolution if you need to start there. For anyone struggling financially, pick one of these things that I have mentioned and work at that. Financial abundance allows for more family time, more charitable giving, being able to afford healthy food, vacations, etc.

2) Move every single day. Fitness will be my focus this year. This can be any type of activity and that’s why it is sustainable. Go to the gym, or a fitness class, do yoga at home (there are so many apps and youtube videos for free), a hike, or even a walk. Our bodies need to move for optimal health and our lifestyles have fallen so far away from that in this tech era.

3) Tell people that you love them more frequently. Love is one of the most important emotions that we can experience. Hatred, grudges, and bad energy towards others can only harm us. Make up with people who have wronged you or let feelings go that cause you stress. Emotions can effect your health in a negative or positive way. Don’t let there be room in your heart for hatred.

4) Start the job/side hustle of your dreams: or at least apply for it. If we don’t take chances, we will never know what could have been. Start that business that you have been dreaming up, start the blog or the etsy shop, apply for your ideal job, and learn as you go. Waiting for the perfect moment will only delay the life that we deserve. Life is too short to not do what we love. “You miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” Allow yourself the investment of time. Making an impact at a new job can’t happen immediately. It takes years of smart work and consistency to see the fruits of our efforts. In our instant gratification society, that can be a hard concept for a lot of us. Trust the process, and begin 2019 with your “yes” to a new and worthwhile journey.

5) Read a daily devotional. Pick a prayer book, bible, or devotional that speaks to you and read it daily. My favorite is “Jesus calling,” I read it with my coffee and sit for at least 5 minutes to process the reading. If this isn’t your thing, meditation is also a great new years resolution. Just 5 minutes a day of complete silence, recognizing your thoughts and letting them go. If we don’t do this we are always in “reaction” mode to the world. For example picking up our phones and checking social media or the news first thing. Or watching tv. We aren’t letting our mind wander, we aren’t connecting with God, and we aren’t allowing creativity to flow. This can cause stress, anxiety, and other unwanted emotions. We must allow time to just be ourselves.

6) Plan to see one new place this year: Even if it is just the next town over. Travel will always broaden our horizons, encourage creativity, and allows for new perspectives. This can be done on any budget by making a day trip, or camping. If it is in your budget to spend time in another state, or another country- even better. “Travel as much as you can, as far as you can, for as long as you can. life wasn’t meant to be lived in one place.”

7) Ditch the toxins in your home: I am sure by now you have seen one or more of the studies done on the risks of the chemicals that we are allowing in our homes. Unnecessary ingredients are now known to cause serious health complications. Ditching the old cleaners, shampoo, and make up for the better alternatives is a wonderful New Years resolution. And it is not as hard as you might think! It can be done naturally (as you run out of a product, you buy the healthy version) and on any budget. You can check my oils page or reach out to me for details and a plan to make this happen for you and your family.

This should give you a good start to the new year, one or more of these could give you the boost you need and the confidence to continue transforming your life gradually. Good things take time. We must allow ourselves an adequate amount of time to make changes that will impact our future in wonderful ways. What are some of the resolutions that you are considering? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments!

Happy New year friends,

I wish you wellness.