Inspirations

For a Healthy New Year, Make a List, Check it Twice

By Emily J Weitz

As we move forward into another year, it's a time to reflect and look ahead. This process is extremely healthy. By looking back at what the last year manifested, you can evaluate what you have, decide what you want to hold on to and what you want to shed. You can even determine if there were any decisions or patterns that brought about certain changes in your life, and you can choose to make better decisions in the future. It's an empowering time of year, a symbolic time to decide what you want to bring about in the year to come.

Philosopher George Santiana wisely said, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." With this in mind, it's important to remember your mistakes and your triumphs, so that you can make informed decisions in the future.

This year, evaluate where you are now by making a list with three columns. In the first column, write all the things you want to let go of. These can be objects that clutter your life, relationships that hold you back or thoughts or feelings that no longer serve you. In the second column, make a list of the things that you love in your life right now. This can be activities you do, people you know or things about yourself that you're happy with. Once you let go of the things that no longer serve you, these gems in your life will sparkle all the more brightly.

Now draw a third column. In this space, write down the things you want to create for yourself in the year to come. Whether it's building new routines, cultivating relationships, treating yourself with more respect or anything else you want to encourage in your life, just write it down. By setting these intentions, you will consciously be able to work towards them.

Now that you know what you want to change about your life and where you want this year to take you, set the wheels in motion. One of the most effective ways to create change is by stepping into a community that will support it. None of us is alone, even though it sometimes feels that way, especially at the far end of Long Island in the dead of winter. But there are thriving communities out here that can support whatever lifestyle changes you need.

One of the most common New Year's resolutions is the decision to get off the couch and work out more. This is a great way to improve your self-image, to increase energy and to be a healthier person. The Sag Harbor Gym has a great program for people interested in transforming their workout routine (or starting one for the first time!). Their boot camp is a no-nonsense way to get in shape and start feeling better about yourself without feeling like you have to do it on your own. Because boot camp requires your commitment to come to the gym four days a week, you will quickly find your lifestyle transformed.

If you're in need of some soul soothing, look into the holistic community that thrives out here in the winter. Healing circles occur at almost every full moon with Kundalini teacher Megan Chaskey and musician Steve Eaton. Chanting happens several times a month guided by yoga teacher Jennifer Frasher. Wellness workshops and group cleanses are great ways to step deeper into the lifestyle that yoga and Pilates may have introduced you to. Going to classes is just the beginning.

Another of the most common New Year's resolutions has to do with diet and nutrition. But so often, just a few weeks into a crash diet, people find themselves slipping back into their old ways. This is often because the goals they set are unrealistic. Cutting out all of your favorite foods at once is going to feel like a huge punishment, when you don't deserve to be punished. And soon enough, your taste buds and your cravings will rebel, leaving you feeling guilty, and surrounded by candy bar wrappers. Instead of cutting out all the things you love, look into changing your nutritional habits by introducing new, healthier ingredients. Jolie Parcher, an ayurvedic nutritional consultant, helps her clients empower themselves to be healthier by analyzing their body type and teaching them how to eat the best ingredients for them. Ayurvedic nutrition is a very interesting area of study.

Humans are creatures of habit. By examining your habits and creating new patterns that serve you better, you will be successful in bringing about whatever changes you need in your life.

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