A new year brings in new resolutions, goals, and opportunities. The new year calls attention to the things we would like to see shift in our lives, and shines light on an opportunity to grow. As we settle into 2024, you may be focusing on your health, finances, relationships or something else to help you thrive. Looking to really capitalize on the opportunity this year? Keep reading to see my 4 tips to making this your best year yet!
4 Tips to Thriving in 2024
keep moving
Yes, it really is that simple. It doesn’t matter if your goals are related to your physical health or not. What is important is to avoiding getting stagnant… keep momentum in whatever it is you are working to achieve. And remember, the benefits of physical movement actually increase brain function and will motivate you to keep momentum towards all of your goals.
If your goals are related to your physical health, obviously it is a no brainer to move your body. This doesn’t only apply to losing weight, and it doesn’t mean you need to be doing extreme exercise everyday. In addition to going to the gym, here are a few ways I love to get movement in regularly:
Chiropractic
Getting adjusted brings movement to essentially every system in the body. Chiropractic not only increases range of motion in our musculoskeletal system, it can also increase circulation, regulate nerve communication, and improve lymphatic drainage.
Brain Breaks
This is something I learned from my sister, who is an elementary school teacher. She would take breaks during class with her students and put on a dance video for the kids to get up and dance along with for about 10-20 minutes. This not only gave them something to look forward to, but it allowed them to get movement into their minds and bodies so they could focus better during learning time.
Give yourself a brain break during your lunch hour, or other moments during your day. We all have at least 10-20 minutes somewhere to take a walk, do a quick video class or a movement circuit. It doesn’t require breaking a big sweat, just allow your body to move!
2. Drink More Water
We know drinking water is important, but rarely do we make it a priority. Drinking water is imperative to every function in our body, so it would be nearly impossible to thrive without it. When we break it down to the cellular level, water flow drives our energy production. If our cells can’t produce enough energy we are left with symptoms like fatigue, allergies, headaches, pain, and more.
Remember that the quality of your water is equally as important as the act of drinking it. If your water is contaminated with chemicals, microbes, and heavy metals your cells will not want to absorb it. So if you’re the person that gets deterred because every time you drink water you have to use the bathroom all day long, the problem is likely the quality of the water you’re drinking.
3. Do things that bring you joy
At Be Optimal, we make a big point of teaching people to Own their Power! This comes from having passions and engaging in the things that bring you joy. Because at the end of the day, if you don’t have something that fuels your fire to get out of bed in the morning, you likely don’t care about putting in the effort to grow this year or achieve those new year’s resolutions. Don’t sweep the things you love under the rug this year. Make time for things that bring you joy. Put it in your calendar, invite a friend so you have someone to hold you accountable, or just get up and go do it.
If you aren’t sure what you’re passionate about or struggle to come up with anything that truly brings you joy, don’t stress. This is where we are here to support you. Our mindfulness coach, Darrell, works cohesively with each client by supporting them into living a life of greater love, trust, peace, possibility, and power. His work is not to tell people what to think, or what to name this life presence, rather he is here to be in dialogue with this clients to support the discovery of practices that move them into a deeper connection with themselves and all of life. To schedule with Rev. Darrell, click here!
4. Be Consistent
Regardless of what your goals are this year, the most important thing you can do is be consistent. In this study, researchers determined it takes approximately 3 weeks to form a habit, and 3 months for it to become “second nature.” My recommendation: start with just 3 days. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the idea of having to do something for 3 months, just focus on doing it one day at a time. Whether you are prioritizing movement, water, joy, or other components of your goals just continue to keep it at the forefront of your mind. Here’s a few ways to be better about consistency:
Put it in your calendar or set a reminder
Have a coach or accountability partner
Do it at the same time everyday
Reward yourself for making it happen
Journal on why you want to reach this goal or how it makes you feel to achieve it
I hope these tips give you some helpful insight to making this your best year yet! To maximize your thriving in finances, I highly recommend attending our Dinner with the Doctors with financial expert Susan Baker. This class will be on January 9th at 6:30pm. To register, click here. As always, we are here to support you on your health journey.
Dr. Naomi Smith, DC