2019 goals: Mind, body, health

PART 1: MIND

As mentioned in my previous post, I’ve divided my goals for 2019 into three different categories. Anyone who knows me knows that I love reading, and this one way that I keep my brain trained. As well, I love writing (if that wasn’t obvious), which is how I primarily maintain my creativity. These are two things that I know I enjoy, but I believe that there is room for exploration and growth at all times.

This year, I want to read more material that is outside of my comfort zone. I tend to read the same sorts of texts, and have found myself reading more brief pieces, especially as I was cutting it close for my 2018 reading challenge. One of the resolutions that I wrote down for this year was to read for pleasure, not pressure. I set a lower reading goal of 35 books, and have made a specific list of texts that I’ve wanted to read for a good while. Nurturing my mind with intentional reading material will spark additional joy in my life. Every time I look at my reading list, I end up with this huge grin on my face.

I also want to take more time to reflect on my days, weeks, and months, and therefore plan to get back into journaling. They won’t necessarily be long entries, but I want to take five minutes at the end of each day to think about what went well, and what I could have done differently. It’s important to self-reflect and be self-aware; this is how you grow. Anything that’s not growing is dead. 

Lastly, I want to invest my time in the people that matter most to me. Although I’m a firm believers in not having enemies and being on good terms with everyone, I don’t believe that it’s natural for you to connect with every single person you meet. When you’re young, you want to be included and accepted by everyone, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that this is exhausting. There is nothing wrong with having a small circle of people that you can share your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with, and they know that they can do the same with you. Those are the relationships that should have you focus, and where you should direct the amount of energy you choose to allot to your relationships. Getting to a place where you are not overextending yourself reduces a lot of stress, and reveals to you what and who is truly worth your time.

PART 2: BODY

This year, my body is separate from my health. I’m talking about the body in its physical form, and where I take it, how far I push it, and when I rest it. We all only have one body, and it deserves to be in spaces/places of positivity, joy, and meaning. In a nutshell, I won’t be going anywhere that I don’t think is deserving of my presence. The world will not stop turning if I don’t go to that nightclub until 3 a.m., or if I don’t burn the midnight oil working on something that holds false expectations. This all does tie into health, but when I look at health, I’m going to look at what I put into my body in terms of food and drink.

It all goes back to being comfortable with saying no and setting boundaries for yourself, and your relationships. I often think back to Shannon Brayton’s visit to my work, where she spoke about setting your non-negotiables. Admittedly, I set mine and didn’t stick to them because other things seemed more important at the time. However, if you’re not going to put yourself first and take care of yourself, who’s going to do it for you?

It’s important to look clean and put together, showing your body and those around you that you love and care for yourself. It is a simple habit to form, and a great way to lead by example. Even on days when you don’t feel great, still get dressed. Your body deserves it.

PART 3: HEALTH

Ironically, this post is about health. I’ve fallen behind with my daily January posts because I was battling a throat infection and wanted to do nothing but sleep. It’s totally an excuse, but gave me a great opportunity to think about this third part of my goals.

When it comes to my health in 2019, I’m speaking specifically about fitness and food. I want to get back into a regular schedule of working out, both at home and at the gym, and make sure that I’m mindful about what I’m eating. I not only want to eat healthier, but I also want to be aware of where my food comes from and think about the larger impact that can have on the planet. The earth’s health should be everyone’s priority. If it is in poor shape, then it cannot continue to yield good crops and sustain us.

My partner and I have already been making the effort to eat out less, and buy seasonally appropriate produce. A new habit that we’re planning to implement is cooking a meal a special meal as a team every Saturday (unless we have other plans). This will cause us to think with intention about what we’re buying and appreciate what we’re making, as well as bond even more. As partners, we have to make a joint effort to look out for each other’s health.