Approaching the New Year with a Healthier Perspective

It's so common at this time of year to come up with a list of resolutions--goals for the new year that are often loftier than the way we live our lives.  For many people, the refreshed feeling of the new year has worn off by valentines' day, and the goals we set in January become one more example of our belief that the only way to improve ourselves is to be perfect.

In spite of all these cultural expectations around perfection, taking a few small steps and being gentle with ourselves is often the path to a more fulfilled, happier, healthier life.

Instead of thinking about 2013 in terms of things you want to get done, I challenge you instead to think about how you want to feel.  List 3-4 feelings that you want to experience in the new year, and then what you plan to do this week to achieve those feelings.  By thinking about yourself in terms of your internal experience instead of by external goals, you may find yourself making choices that are more in line with your heart, with your soul, and with your health.

Many thanks to Kris Carr and Danielle LaPorte for their thinking and writing on this topic.

Happy 2013!