Courtesy of Lifestyle Guru Laura Posada
New Year’s resolutions are always a hot topic in January. Taking baby steps to accomplish them could be the right approach. However, considering we live in a world where most people want to see instant results, I’ve partnered with Wonderful Pistachios to share some tips that may help you not only manage your priorities and actions, but also set reasonable expectations to help you get there faster. In no particular order, the below tips may set you up for success:
Combine physical activity with a healthy diet: This tip is the most important one because your health should be a top priority in 2017. Leaving behind poor eating habits while choosing foods that are not only delicious but also have good nutritional value could make a huge difference on your path towards a better lifestyle. In addition to your daily meals, snacking is a big part of your day-to-day routine and often times we don’t give it the importance that it deserves. I suggest that you go for nuts, such as Wonderful Pistachios, since almost 90% of the fat found in pistachios is unsaturated fat, i.e. the good stuff, making them a better snack choice than popular fried snacks like potato chips. Furthermore, a healthy diet can be even more effective when exercising regularly. Try a combination of cardio, strength training and resistance exercises to achieve optimal results.
The 21 days grace-period: Some of the commonly broken New Year’s resolutions are getting out of debt, saving money, being less stressed and eating healthier. To avoid becoming part of this statistic, I suggest you 1) give yourself time to acclimate to your new lifestyle, and that usually takes 21 days, and 2) write down an affirmation or personal statement committing to making these changes in 2017 (i.e. “I will start eating healthier, I will stay active, and I will travel to new places…”) and make sure you remove any obstacles that may get in the way of this new journey.
Focus on your life roles: We all play different roles in our lives: mother, daughter, employee, friend, uncle, cousin, etc. It’s important to balance each of these roles to lead healthier lives. Ask yourself, how is my personal life going? Am I spending time with my closest friends or more importantly, making time for myself? If not, pick up the phone and call that friend to catch up or make time to read a good book as part of “me” time. How about your professional life? If you don’t love your job, what steps are you taking to make it better? Synchronizing your personal, professional, and family life is not an easy task, but if you get organized, you can find room for it all. Creating a quick “To Do List” or using your phone calendar to set up reminders may be great ways to ensure you are dedicating the right amount of time to each role.
