I don’t know about you, but this time of year feels like change is in the air. Driving around the streets of Charlotte, I cant help but notice the leaves begin to trade their usual vibrant green hue for warm oranges, bold reds, and golden yellows. At run club on Wednesday evenings, we’ve begun to trade oppressively hot, sunny miles for crisper, dusky ones. Early morning walks require me to figure out where I stowed my puffer jacket last spring. As nature changes around us to signify the end of summer and the start of winter, it begs the question: are we ready to make changes too?
I’ll be honest, the holiday season is typically not the time of year that most people feel motivated to make health changes. Shocking, I know. There are family gatherings, office parties, work deadlines, candy dishes, break room treats, errands to run, gifts to buy, colder temperatures, darker evenings, and bulky sweaters to wear. Truly, these are not conducive conditions for what behavioral psychologists call ‘readiness to change.’ But if nature all around us seems ready to change this time of year, surely we can too.
Just as the leaves change on different days or even different weeks each year, you can start something new any date you choose. But if the New Year really feels like your thing, can I challenge you to work backwards for a minute?
Take some time today to think about how you want to feel on January 1, 2025. Do you want to feel stronger? Do what a strong person does and lift weights. Do you want to feel less bloated? Do what a non-bloated person does and cut back on added sugar, fried food, and alcohol. Do you want to feel energized? Do what an energized person does and prioritize 7-9 hours of sleep per night. You get the gist. Make sure to narrow it down to 1-3 specific, simple changes. Focus more on the changed behavior than the desired outcome. Adopt the behaviors of the person you hope to be on January 1, 2025, and you’ll start becoming that person before the end of 2024.
Happy change-making.
