This article will explain the values guide solution and how you can use it to help you keep your New Year’s Resolution. So, firstly, let’s jump in and talk more about what a values guide is. A values guide is a list of your values. Seems simple enough, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. You need to take some time and think deeply about what drives you in life. Why do you get out of bed every day and take on the world? It is important to write your list honestly. You may enjoy a clean house, but it might not be something that you value highly. Remember, these aren’t things you like to do, these are the things that make life worth living. Don’t just make your list in your head. Write it on something tangible, and take it with you, whether it be in your purse, your wallet, or in your pocket. This way you can give yourself reminders as to what it is you value. With list on your person, then the decisions you make can be compared against your values. Ask yourself does this activity stay in line with my core values. You can then continue to do activities that line up with your values, and eliminate activities that are contradictory to your values.

You may be wondering how a values guide can help you keep your resolution. Well, once you have your values guide completed, look at your resolution, and ask yourself if your resolution fits into one of your core values. If it does, you are much more likely to accomplish your resolution. For example, you may have made a resolution to lose weight, and you value your health. That clearly works with that value, and so you can then make your life decisions off of living healthily (eating well, working out, etc.), and in turn, you will lose weight. If it doesn’t, you might want to consider making a different resolution. Your resolution isn’t something you really care about if it doesn’t match up with one of your values. Why spend your time working on being organized, when you would rather spend more time with your family, travel more, or go back to school? You have better ways to improve yourself than trying to work on something that you don’t find important. The path to happiness and fulfillment lies within your values, so a clear list will be a step toward success.

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First, let me tell you how a SMART goal is different than a regular goal. Many common New Year’s Resolutions don’t pass the SMART criteria, being too general, “I want to get in better shape,” being unmeasurable, “I want to lose weight,” or being too opened ended, “I want to quit smoking.” These flaws in most goals help to explain the low rate of success for achieving New Year’s Resolutions. SMART helps to solve these problems by laying out a very specific method in which to make your goals.

To start making a SMART goal, you need to figure out what you’re trying to achieve. Specific and measurable go hand-in-hand. If you have a specific goal, generally you can measure your success. You want to say as precisely as possible what you are ultimately working toward. Instead of simply losing weight, how much weight do you want to lose? Ten pounds? Twenty pounds?  Or, instead of generally wanting to read more, how many books a month do you want to read? One book? Two books?

Next, there is achievability. With this, you want to figure out how possible this goal is. If it is outside your achievability, most likely you will quickly become frustrated and give up. So, ask yourself is this a realistic expectation? When focusing on achievable, make sure you know your capabilities and limits. Don’t go too easy on yourself, but at the same time, don’t try to and overexert yourself. Remember, your over all well-being in spirit, mind, and body is of top importance to finding balance and happiness.

Is your goal relevant?  Is it relevant to your life priorities?  Is your goal directly relevant to your values?  As I stated in an earlier blog, once you have your values guide completed, look at your resolution, and ask yourself if your resolution fits into one of your core values. If it does, you are much more likely to accomplish your resolution as it is relevant to your true self.

Lastly, timely is simply deciding when you want to accomplish this goal by. Two months? Six months? This goes back to achievability. You don’t want to make a particularly long time table as you want to enjoy the journey and celebrate short victories along the way!  There are many resources you can use but a Certified Professional Coach helps you recognize what you really want, challenges you to be more than you thought you could be on your own, assists you to gain clarity and holds you accountable to your goals.  Today is a clean slate and a perfect time to create your SMART goals!

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One key source to help you learn about habit-forming is The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This New York Times best-seller has created a lot of attention from individuals nationwide, especially individuals with habits they wish to kick. He writes about such a complex concept as habits in a simple way that anyone can understand and learn from. Duhigg explains in his book the cylindrical nature of habits. There is the cue, which is what sparks your habit. This could be time, hunger, boredom, people, or certain situations. This is followed by the routine, which is the habit itself. Lastly, there is the reward, or what you gain from that particular habit. Then, this whole process starts over again and again, unless you step in and make changes.

If you desire to get rid of an undesirable routine, you start with what your cue is. What is triggering you to do whatever habit you are unhappy with? I have a particularly nagging sweet tooth, especially when it comes to cookies. If I see cookies, I want to eat them. Leaving cookies on the counter is a good way for me to eat them. Just the simple act of putting them in a cabinet (or not buying them at all) really helps me to avoid sugar cravings. Out of sight, out of mind.

Next, and most importantly, you need to figure out what the reward is. It would be easy to say my reward for eating a cookie is eating the cookie itself. However, I’ve found it’s more complicated than that. When cookies are left out, I have a harder time resisting them when I feel stressed. Eating sugary and fattening foods helps to bring relief; thus, the fitting name of comfort foods. Taking some time to be reflective, I have come to the conclusion that there are much healthier ways for me to relieve stress, such as going for a jog, doing yoga, or petting my dog. Instead of reaching for a sweet, I know I have other routines that I can complete to reach the same reward: stress relief. Now, this doesn’t mean I seamlessly avoid sweets, but it means I have the opportunity to be more mindful in my choices instead of mindlessly being trapped in my habits.

With some time to be reflective, step back, look at your habits closely, and figure out your cue and reward. By changing your routine to meet your reward in a better way, you can break your unwanted habit, and thus change yourself for good.

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There are many different ways to track your progress. Writing a journal is a great way to reflect on your work. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so this is about the journey of self-transformation that you are considering and writing about. How do you think the process is going? Are you enjoying it? How do you plan to continue this progress? Furthermore, journaling gives you the ability to look back in time and see how far you’ve come. Again, think about the small milestones you have made, and not about how far you have to go. You will be amazed how quickly changes will come. Enjoy the experience, and have that reflected in your writing. A positive state of mind will help you make positive progress.

If you are interested in learning more about the power of writing, I encourage you to read Write Down Your Soul; How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within by Janet Conner. Continue in your search for balance and creating the best you. You can do this!

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One such known way to reduce stress is mindful meditation with focused breathing. There are many resources that can help you through guided mindful meditations, including videos online and apps such as Happify.  Mindful meditation is a great tool, and has been found to be able to actually help change the wiring of your brain.  Mindful Schools, (mindfulschools.org) states that mindful meditation is based on the concepts of present time awareness (alertness, clarity, stability) and equanimity (ease, momentary acceptance, and non-compulsion).  You do not need a deep dark incense filled sanctuary for mindful meditation.  You can bring yourself to a mindful state by simply acknowledging and naming your stressor (trigger point), and begin focusing on your breathing. Consider the air entering your body and filling your lungs, and then exiting your body. On each exhale, release the name or emotion of the stressor and repeat your focused breathing.  You can also count your inhalations and exhalations up to ten and repeat until you gain equanimity.

When in balance, you are healthier, more confident and better prepared to be a steward of your life’s purpose. Enjoy the air!

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Enhancing the spirit can come in many different ways. You can explore your religion, maybe dive deeper into your teachings. You can take up activities such as meditation, where you have time to look inward and quiet the mind. There is also motivational growth, in which you search for new passions to focus your energy on, or strive for goals you’ve been hoping to reach. Lastly, there is the adventurous spirit. This is your spirit that desires to explore new places or try new things. Listen to this drive, and maybe even indulge it on occasion. Work on the spirit, whether religious, motivational, or adventurous, can help to lead you on the road to happiness and balance.

Next, there is expanding the mind. This can come from learning something new. Maybe that means reading a book, or deciding to enroll in a class about something that interests you. Sometimes you might have to just dig in and get your hands dirty, such as trying a new activity like painting, gardening, or martial arts. You never know what you will fall in love with unless you try it. Remember, nothing is lost if you try something with an open heart and mind, and it turns out to not be for you. If anything, it’s a learning experience, allowing you to know yourself in a different way.

Exercising the body can have so many benefits beyond physical strength. It has been shown to make you overall happier. Taking a little time each day to be active, whether that be going outside for a riding a bike, practicing yoga, or taking a hike, these activities can leave you feeling like you’re capable of taking on the world. If you had plans for the New Year to become healthier, spring is a great time to revamp those plans. The warm months make it so much more enjoyable to be active, whether outside or inside. It’s still the New Year, and so you still have many months left to meet your resolution.

Lastly, allow this new, warmer season to be a time to spend your energy on others. As the saying goes, giving is better than receiving, and this age old adage has been backed up by scientific findings; giving has been shown to lead to stronger and more lasting happiness than receiving. So, next time you want to make an impulse buy, think of a better place to spend your money and time. For example, you can give your money or time to charity supporting a cause you care deeply about. Even just taking a step back, going out, and buying a coffee for a friend or loved one, and sitting and enjoying it with them, can have great benefits on your levels of happiness.

You are capable of finding total well-being, but it will not come to you; you have to go out and seek it. Happy Trails!

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Exploration and development of religion can be a rewarding experience for the mind, body, and soul.  Does your faith coincide with your religious practices? Are they one in the same or separate?  How can you strengthen your faith?

Exercise and meditation can be a great step to take toward building a spirited life. I am speculating you know all the wonderful benefits of exercise but did you know meditation has proven benefits as well. These include reducing stress, reducing physical pain, and even having the power to rewire circuits in the brain. A daily practice of one or the other (both if you are daring) will no doubt enhance your spirit. I highly recommend doing both, especially in a natural surrounding…like outside in nature! When is the last time you took a walk in the woods?

Lastly, a great way to incite the spirit is to indulge in your adventurous side. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routines that you forget about your sense of adventure. Happens to the best of us! However, this adventure can add real spice to life, helping you to feel all-around more energetic and excitable. Adventure can be as big as traveling somewhere new, or as small as trying new food. You only live once, so you should make it count and soak up as many experiences as you can. When is the last time you jumped in a puddle?

Finding something to enhance your spirit can put an extra pep in your step. Consider what makes you want to get out of bed in the morning. What makes you excited about life? Maybe it’s your family members, maybe it’s traveling, maybe a hobby, or maybe something else entirely. Whatever the case maybe, when you have a joyful spirit, you are healthier, more confident and better prepared to be a steward of your life’s purpose.

Carpe Frediam!

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Physical activity is not a one-size fits all kind of thing. You need to figure out a routine that works for you. I personally enjoy running, but I know people who consider running to be a form of slow torture. Make your fitness routine something you can enjoy, and so you will be more likely to do it. That doesn’t mean it should be easy. As the saying goes, “No pain, no gain.” However, there shouldn’t be too much pain; be mindful of your body and don’t over-stress it.

If you aren’t sure what type of activity would be good for you, there are many different options. There is always the gym with all of its machines; however, that can be a source of anxiety and discomfort for people (though, it’s probably not as bad as you think). The internet, especially YouTube, is a great source for workout routines. There is everything from cardio to high intensity interval training to body weight workouts to yoga and more. And the best part is that you can do these in the comfort of your own home. This could also work as a great way to jump start your fitness journey, so that possibly you will build the confidence to go to a gym in the future. Another good idea to achieve your fitness quota is to simply get outside and do something. This can be hiking, walking, running, biking, and so on. Being outside in nature has its own benefits, and added to the benefits of physical activity, this option is likely to leave you feeling great.

Try to make your physical activity something social. It is great to have someone to workout with you, and possibly even talk to you, but this is not required. Having someone to track your progress with can really help you stay motivated. Then, you feel like you are accountable to someone if you skip on your plan, or you have someone to celebrate with as you meet your goals together. One way to help fitness be a social affair is to play a sport. No matter what sport you pick, you will always be with at least one other person. This doesn’t have to be an organized game. It can be as simple as playing a pick-up game of basketball with some friends or throwing a Frisbee back and forth. There is no reason why fitness can’t be fun.

Last but not least, it is very important to set goals for yourself to work toward. Some options are a daily step goal, which has become recently popular with the wide-spread use of step counters, distance, amount of calories burned, or some other method of tracking. It is great to follow some kind of plan, which can be as simple as saying that you will work out every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Best of luck developing your body and mind through exercise!

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