If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know that I’m incredibly excited for 2018.  The past year brought forward some crazy, life-shifting changes.  Some good, some bad, but I’m excited to settle into my new groove and relax a little.

While I’ve never been a big believer in resolutions in the traditional sense, I have to agree that there is always something special about the beginning of a new year.  There’s a sense of excitement in the air, the world is full of open hearts, and the swift cutting off point of the past year seems to become an almost-tangible reminder that we’re only moving forward.

So, for 2018, and perhaps the first time ever, I have decided to write a set of resolutions for the coming year.  They are all incredibly attainable, though I don’t know exactly what they’ll look like in my daily life, and I already know that each one will greatly improve my life.

With that, let’s dive right in!

My 5 Resolutions for 2018

Resolution #1 : Go to Bed and Wake Up Earlier

While I stayed fairly strict with my usual 10pm bedtime through much of the year, the shorter days have really spun me for a loop.

For most of the year, I was comfortable enough to wake up early to do my morning runs.  But running outside in the dark solo in the mornings just doesn’t seem like the best idea to me.  Though that’s a terrible excuse, especially when there’s a gym literally in my building.

Instead, I currently work out late in the day after being at the office all day, which then pushes back my nightly routine.  Often, I’ll get into bed late, my sleep won’t be sound because I haven’t let my body relax from the activities of the day, and it makes me fatigued for the rest of the week.

Not ideal.

So my goal for this year is to make it into bed by 10pm on all week nights, and try to stick fairly close to that on weekends whenever possible.  That would allow me to freshly wake up at 6am after eight-hours of sleep with plenty of time to get in a good workout prior to heading to the office.

 

Resolution #2 : Focus Towards Gratitude

Because I have a naturally scientific mind, I’ve recently looked at several articles on gratitude, and my favorite read came directly from Harvard.

Essentially, focusing on gratitude, even for just a few minutes a day, is scientifically proven to make you more optimistic and can make you feel better about your life.  But what’s even more surprising is that this translates into the physical world, as well!  While your mental fortitude is getting stronger, those that focus on gratitude also tend to exercise more and take less trips to the doctor.

So my resolution for this year is to go into each day with a grateful heart.  Whether it’s through my series of daily prayers, or through a gratitude journal, I’m hoping to focus on gratitude to a much greater extent in the year ahead.

 

Resolution #3 : Pay Attention to My Gut Health

Your gastrointestinal health is responsible for many areas of your overall health – your digestion, metabolism, and your immune system are all greatly impacted by little microorganisms that are the good bacteria in your gut called your gut flora.

This good bacteria is what helps your body to break down food, absorb nutrients, helps to support your energy levels, and even helps you to lose weight!  And probiotics, specifically, are the best way to help to balance your gut flora.

While there are several ways to get probiotics into your daily diet, such as drinking kombucha or drinking liquid probiotics, I’m all in on Good Day Chocolate Probiotic Chocolates.  While this brand has a full line of chocolates with nutrients mixed in – sleep (melatonin) and energy (B-vitamins and caffeine), just to name a few – the probiotic line is my new favorite product they have available.  Each piece of chocolate contains 1 billion probiotic bacteria.

Crushing my sweet tooth while also making me healthier?  Count me in!  (You can order Good Day Chocolates off of their website, or they are available in Sprouts nationally.)

 

Resolution #4 : Eat Fresh

Making food for one again has been an interesting learning experience.  Most of the time, I find that it’s so much easier just to grab a quick, pre-made sandwich on my way home from the office or eating something of little nutritional value at a happy hour spot nearby.

But neither contains much nutritional value or makes me feel great about my decisions afterwards.

So my resolution is to try to eat fresh foods whenever possible.  Whether that means making my breakfasts and lunches at home more regularly, or buying more fresh ingredients for a healthy dinner that I can quickly pop on the grill, there’s a wide variety of directions that this could go.  And, honestly, almost any fresh meals will be a quick improvement from how I’ve been eating lately.  Eek!

 

Resolution #5 : Move More

While I’m incredibly impressed by how well our little business has grown, my physical health has absolutely taken a back seat this year.  Part of this was due to my need to give my mental space some room to breathe, and part of this was due to the fact that I was working 16 hours straight for many days on end.

In the long run, however, I know that physical health is just as important as mental and emotional health.  But it’s definitely the area where I have the most room for growth in my life at this moment.

So my final resolution for 2018 is to move more.  Whether this is done from generally sitting less, trying new classes, or by re-committing myself to my daily runs, there are several ways that this might look in my life in the coming year.  And, no matter how this goes, I know my future self will be thankful that I started now.

 

*Note: This content was sponsored by our partnership with Sprouts.  Thank you for all of your support!

To learn more and to check out my progress, follow along on Instagram to be the first to hear about all of the fun.

Create a great life!