Many of you are telling me you’d like to wait another week or two before tackling your healthy living resolutions for 2013, and I can understand why!
There is so much to be done to get things back in order after the happy holiday chaos; starting anything that requires significant focus and attention (which is, ahem, exactly what resolutions require) feels like a tall order.
And guess what? Waiting a bit to begin your resolution may actually work to your advantage! That’s because the best day to start a resolution is THE DAY WHEN YOU FEEL READY to start it.
In fact, a recent study showed that people who began implementing their New Year’s Resolutions on January 31st were actually more successful than those who started on January 1st. Why? Because the later starters were truly committed to making changes and not just swept up in the energy of “everybody else is doing it so I may as well join them.”
You have likely heard stories about gyms being super-crowded for the first two weeks of January, but then thinning out quickly as those new members fell off the wagon and stopped going. They weren’t ready. They rushed headlong into the gym on auto-pilot, but they hadn’t thought through what it would take to keep up the practice week after week, so when the going got tough, they gave up!
Let’s not be the people who give up this year, okay? Let’s be ready.
If you’re feeling stressed because January 1st has come and gone and you haven’t begun to make changes yet, I want to reassure you that there is no magic in January 1st. It’s simply a very popular date to start fresh, so if you’re already ready, then I’m ready to support you! But if you need a little more time to get your ducks in a row, then by all means take it! Set yourself up for success.
Now, since more than a few of you have told me that you ARE ready to get started now (using your new workout clothes, cookbooks, home gym equipment, and Vitamix blenders), I thought today I’d offer you one simple and proven tip that will help to ensure you begin your healthy lifestyle changes on the right foot. Are you ready? Here it is.
GET MORE SLEEP.
That’s right. Start building a sleep pattern that gets you 7-8 hours a night with consistency. I cannot tell you how much this will help you implement any healthy change you want to make. You will have better judgment, more willpower, and your mood will improve. You will be more productive and creative. You will even boost your metabolism – that’s right. You can eat more if you sleep more.
To kick off 2013, figure out what it will take for you to get more sleep and make it happen.
There are 364 days remaining in 2013….don’t panic. Just get ready. And get some sleep. You are going amaze yourself this year.
Category Archives: Lifestyle
Keeping Christmas…life after Newtown
It’s been an unbelievable week, hasn’t it? One short week ago, life was blissfully normal and we were aflutter with holiday hustle and bustle. We were making plans for making merry. We were worrying about which gifts we’d buy and whether or not we had enough of them in our carts. We were looking forward to parties and recitals and school performances.
And then the tragic events of last Friday unfolded and our plans ground to a halt. We went under for the weekend, shielding our children from the news for as long as we could, yet scrolling through our Facebook newsfeeds and watching in horror as the facts unfolded on TV. We hugged our little ones and one another. We prayed. We wept.
We’re still weeping.
I don’t know about you but I’ve been feeling a little unable to be fully joyful in the face of such evil. And yet for some reason, today, I thought (of all things) of the story of The Grinch. I thought about how Christmas came to Whoville no matter what the Grinch did to try to stop it. Christmas came anyway. In the peaceful quiet of a winter morning, voices rang out and Christmas came.
It will come for us, too.
Our God is so much bigger than this evil and He will guide us to wherever it is that we go from here. Yes, there are BIG things that need to happen in our country and our world, but there are also a thousand little things. Most of us probably need to pray for the people in charge of those big things, and busy ourselves with the little things.
When I was little, my dad used to tell me at funerals that we “live for the living”. He’d remind me that life must go on even when we are sad and grieving. And so it must for us. Our own children are blessedly alive and they need us to be fully present and joyful for them. We can’t let the inexcusable acts of one sick young man dampen the most magical and sacred time of year for our own families. We can’t let this steal Christmas, my friends. We have little things to manage well. We have cookies to bake, gifts to give, visits to make, carols to sing, and church services to attend.
I’m not asking you to forget. I’m asking you to transform your grief into action – to do the little things you can for those whom you can touch. Love more. Give more. Play more. Give joy a chance to shine through your tears.
We’ve just had a painful reminder that life is sometimes far shorter than planned. These moments give us an opportunity to pause and reflect on our own lives. Are you living yours to the fullest? What would it take for you to do that in 2013? What will you do? Whom will you serve? How will you heal?
In the quiet and solemn moments of the weeks ahead, listen for the answers. I’m sure they’ll be there for each of us, showing us our unique role in the BIG and little plans for where we go from here.
Best Kitchen Gift Ideas 2012
Around this time of year, I start to get asked about my top gift picks for a well-equipped kitchen. And I must say, there are few things I love more than kitchen tools, so it’s a challenge for me to narrow down the list of must-haves! Nonetheless, I’ve given this some thought, made a list, and checked it twice. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite kitchen gift ideas for various gifting occasions.
THE REALLY BIG GIFT
A full set of All Clad Cookware
This is no run-of-the-mill gift, but if you’ve been extra good this year, here’s what you ask for! All Clad Cookware is my favorite brand; it’s virtually indestructible and it adds a little bit of luxury to your everyday life. These will last forever. Seriously.
THE BIG GIFT
A starter set of All Clad Cookware
You may notice a theme here; I’m a big fan of this top-notch stainless steel cookware. No more food stuck to sub-par pans. This size set comes at a more accessible price point.
This excellent German set of knives will serve you for years and years and will make you actually look forward to chopping vegetables! Keep them sharp!
I still can’t believe I didn’t have a food processor until I got one as a wedding gift! A go-to gadget for so many recipes, this Cuisinart one is great.
HOSTESS GIFTS
Tie one of these up with a gorgeous bow and you’ll make your hostess’ night! This one is a good mid-size – they come smaller and larger than this; I have several that I use for different purposes.
Think of this as the centerpiece of as a fresh-squeezed juice kit! Drape a pretty kitchen towel inside a basket, fill it with oranges, lemons and/or limes, top off with the juicer, and add a big bow. Voila!
I love that these are red. Add a box of gourmet pancake or muffin mix and a whisk and you have a breakfast kit!
STOCKING STUFFERS
You’ll be amazed by how many uses you find for these – I find that I use mine almost daily.
Nothing makes short work of mincing garlic like a good quality press, and this one is my favorite.
So, what’s on your wish list? Post it on my Facebook wall and join the conversation!