New Year’s Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Is 2022 your year to keep New Year’s resolutions? This is a list of the ten most popular New Year resolutions.
10. Reorganize Life
On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.
Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix you
r computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. Challenge your mind in the coming year, and your horizons will expand.
7. Get Out of Debt
Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.
6. Stop Drinking
While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available.
5. Enjoy Life More
Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of people in the world, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you!
4. Stop Smoking
If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good.
3. Lose Weight
Weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of people who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.
2. Get Fit
Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.
1. Spend Time with Loves Ones
Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of people asked, vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year.
For one, being healthy allows us to all do the things we need to on a daily basis. Let’s be real, I don’t think anyone wants to be healthy so we can do the dinner dishes or sit down and pay bills. We WANT to be healthy so we can do more of what we love. For some people, that’s being able to take their dogs on a walk around the park. Others may want to stroll down the street, shopping in boutiques, or get down on the ground to play with grandchildren. For me, I want to be healthy so I can share my love of nature with my family. There is nothing better than watching my kids scramble over rocks, around trees and being awed by a beautiful vista.
Big Bend!
This January I got to check off a trip to Big Bend National Park off my Texas Outside list. I have been procrastinating taking the 7-8 drive out there with my husband Cade and our two kids, Kinsley and Zane. I just wasn’t sure it would be worth the headache. If you have also been putting on the brakes for such a trip, put the pedal to the metal and head out to West Texas!
My kids’ favorite hike in Big Bend is the Santa Elena Canyon. It is a beautiful car ride once you get into the park, all the way down Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, but there are lots of other smaller hikes and views to entertain you. The start of the hike is at the turn of the Rio Grande and it couldn’t be a more spectacular view of the river that defines the border between Mexico and Texas.
The canyon trail is 1.5 miles and depending on the height of the water you may have to do a light water crossing or hillside scramble further upstream to get into the canyon. It can be chilly in the canyon because it doesn’t get a lot of sunlight so you may want to bring a layer to throw on if it isn’t the middle of the summer. The lush vegetation in the canyon is a stark contrast to the desert landscape outside and there are plenty of large boulders and reeds to explore on the banks of the river.
Life, exploration and fun outdoors – this is WHY I try and stay healthy. Please share with us why you want to be healthy!By: Dr. Elyse Barron
