As we approach the new year, I am beginning to think about what I want to focus on in 2017. For years I did the usual new year’s resolutions. “I will lose 10 pounds”, “I will drink less coffee”, “I will exercise every day”, etc., etc. Of course, they hardly worked and left me feeling guilty and like a failure.

Now, I do something different. I set intentions instead of resolutions. They were things like “laugh a lot” and “excellent self-care”. The focus was on ways to be kind to myself and feel as good as a possibly could, not unachievable and unrealistic things that would just cause guilt. I thought about how I wanted to feel in the new year. I wanted to feel happy, appreciated, and of course, my favorite feeling, ebullient (having or showing liveliness or enthusiasm).

Now, of course, there may be things we could really benefit from changing in the new year. If you do need to lose weight, you don’t exercise, you want a new attitude, you may want to put some of these things into effect. The trick is wording them in a way that makes you want to do them and doesn’t make you feel like crap if you don’t do them. Instead of exercise daily, maybe you could say, “move my body every day” or “pump that blood”. Whatever works. Moving my body every day sounds a lot easier than exercise and pump that blood immediately brings up a song from the 80s and sounds fun.

The last thing I want to say about new year’s resolutions is be nice to your body. The internet will have you believe that juice fasting and other extreme measures will kick-start your new year. I disagree. Most of us have been overloading on sugar, alcohol, fatty foods, etc. the last few weeks. The last thing our bodies need is a drastic swing in the other direction. It is way better to just stop the sugar and other unhealthy stuff, add more fruits and vegetables, and slowly return to exercising. Be gentle with yourself and the efforts you make will be way more effective. Remember that humans do better with 1-2 changes per week and no more.

Are you having trouble making achievable intentions? Do you need extra tips and support for beginning a healthier lifestyle? Have you tried to change in the past without success? My Health Transformations E-Course is here to help. Spend 7 weeks with me. You will receive weekly e-mails with simple steps to transform your health. I have taken my years of experience working with others and transforming my own health and put them all together in a easy-to-implement program just for you! Get more information and sign-up here. The program is ongoing and you work at your own pace, so there is no pressure!

Please comment below and tell me your intentions for 2017!