New Year Dos and Don’ts

Start Your New Year Right: Dos and Don’ts for Health, Fitness, and Spiritual Well-being

Well, it’s that time of year where you’re seeing people promote their vision board courses for the new year, talking about goals that they’re setting and more. Right? But in order for us to move forward, we also have to let go of things that are no longer serving us.

So first things first, let me be clear. Your health, albeit physical, mental, or spiritual, If something is not nourishing your body, mind, or heart, then it’s a no go. So what is your current workout routine like? I know, I know. You’re like, wait, come on.

We gotta talk about fitness. I get it, but it is very, very important. This is a goal that so many people set for themselves and honestly set themselves up for failure.

Adapting To Changing Fitness Needs As We Age

Think about how many people join the gym and they don’t make it with their membership till February. Right? I don’t even know what the statistic is, but I think it’s something wild, like 70%. Right?

So maybe you’re moving daily or maybe you’re not, but ask yourself, is this something that you need to be doing or need to change in order to feel the way that you want to feel in your body.

I know for me, in my postpartum journey the past 21 months well, now yeah. 21.

She’s 22 months now, but I didn’t work out right away. Right? So let’s call it 21 months. My routine has looked a lot different than it did before having a baby. Now I focus more on walks and strength training versus intense HIIT workouts. I used to crave the feeling of being sweaty and looking at, like, a red faced tomato after a workout.

But between the fact that my hormones don’t love those spikes in cortisol. And the fact that I now work out with a baby by my side, it has is meant walking and taking breaks during a strength training workout to either nurse her or comfort her, whatever the case may be, versus hitting pause in a HIIT workout and getting annoyed that I have to do that and, like, jump back into it or not really wanna jump back into it. Those changes have made my fitness regime a lot more flexible.

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Plus, reality check, I’m getting older, spoiler alert, and my body craves different forms of movement than it once did when I was in my late twenties, and I first started really focusing on my health and nutrition.

Listening to your body’s needs for different forms of movement

I’ve been at this now for a decade. So my timetable looks different than it used to, my body looks different than it used to, my hormones are different than it they used to be, and the irony of this, you know, slower pace, if you will, is that the changes, although many times, they’ve pushed me to be outside my comfort zone.

Like, okay, are these walks really gonna be that effective? Okay. I don’t have that red faced cherry tomato, you know, vibe after a workout. You know, after doing it even just like a strength train doesn’t mean that it wasn’t effective.

It was just different from what I was used to. These changes actually resulted in better results for me physically, which is wild.

The Importance of Evaluating Your Nutrition and it’s Impact on Energy Levels

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And the same goes for your nutrition. I encourage you to stop listening to every diet guru out there. And more importantly, get in tune with your body. I have personally found that the best way to do this Is to journal your food and how it makes you feel afterwards.

And, no, I don’t mean, like, that great dopamine hit from an ice cream cone. Although I do love me some cookies and cream and a waffle cone from time to time, it is definitely one of my weaknesses, but rather, I want you to focus on your energy levels.

What is your recovery like after a strenuous workout or even a high stress level day at work? Look at your sleeping patterns. Are you waking up in the middle of the night? Are you bloated after eating certain foods? Yes.

Clearly, there are certain foods, sadly, ice cream, that will feel you know, like, leave you feeling depleted and feeling sometimes even gross after the dopamine wears off.

But I’ve also found in doing this, like I said, for a decade and really being focused on it and paying attention to my body and its needs that there’s even healthy foods that don’t work for me personally either.

Lean ground turkey, having a really rare red meat, you know, I used to love having a very, I used to say like my steak used to be mooing when I got it. I can’t do that anymore. Brown rice. Brown rice and I are not pals, and no one knows your body like you do.

So you need to start having a better relationship with it, both in your fitness and in your nutrition. So how do you do that? Make sure you evaluate your current fitness regime.

Mental and Emotional Health Check In

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And you have to ask yourself those hard hitting questions. How do you wanna feel different in the new year? What do you want your body to look like? By the way, There is nothing wrong with that. K.

I’ve spoken about this, but I have a major issue with the fit shaming trend that’s out there. I repeat, there is nothing wrong with wanting to not only feel a certain way, but look a certain way as well.

So ask yourself, how are you gonna get there, and what needs to change? Okay. So mentally, how have you been feeling? Drained or excited? Overwhelmed? Or at peace. Are you playing the comparison game a lot on social media, or are you good with where you’re at regardless of what you’re seeing and consuming on social media?

Like, are you content with your life? Too much time on your phone right now and not taking breaks from your work, or is your life in harmony?

All of these things affect your mental state. I truly believe that the time check feature on the iPhone every Sunday is literally one of the best features the phone has.

Setting boundaries with social media and digital consumption

And one of my favorite ways to make sure I’m in more of a creative mode versus consumer mode is by challenging myself to spend less time on the phone each week. So I see that number and I’m like, okay.

It told me my percentage of my time, how many hours, how can I get that to be less next week, but also still put myself out there to build my business and build my brand? Right?

It’s this game I play with myself. And I encourage you, especially if right now you are more of a consumer versus a creator and an entrepreneur.

I really encourage you to create boundaries for yourself and time limits on your apps, which you can do on your phone.

Speaking of boundaries, personally, I have found that as much as I love being around certain people in real life, and let’s be real, there are others that I just cannot avoid, I’ve had to create boundaries in order to keep my sanity.

Creating boundaries with people in your life to maintain mental well-being

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So this means muting people on social media. It could even be one of your best friends. Right? Only seeing certain people a few times a year. This is a big one in our house, limiting the days that people come and visit and stay in our home for, you know, their vacation or whatever it may be. There’s no more than 5. K. Sorry. Not sorry.

It’s not the Ritz Carlton. And also forcing myself to have work hours, which means I’m not answering emails or texts. So that way, when I come home, I am fully present with my daughter and my husband. Like, I leave work at work. I do not bring it home.

And if you’re being distracted from reaching your purpose or someone is stealing your joy from life, then you need to let it go or limit your time that you’re around them.

I can promise you that if you don’t, someone else will reach the goals that you aspire to attain because they’re willing to make the necessary cuts in their life.

And then you’re just gonna end up more irritated that someone, who at times is even less qualified than you, is reaching the goals that you want for yourself and your life.

And you’re just going to be beyond irritated. And I can also promise you that if you don’t create boundaries with people, you’re gonna end up annoyed in the weeks leading up Just seeing them in the moment they’re here and even afterwards. Right?

Time is the only resource you can’t get more of. So this is the area that you need to get a little more selfish with in the new year.

Leave time for people and things that do make you deal. Great. Stay close to the people who are very clear on the place you hold in their lives just like you are about them being in yours. You should never have to beg anyone to be your friend.

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And if you can’t go days, weeks, or even months without talking to someone and still have it be easy when you reconnect, then these are people that you don’t need in your life. Their cycle has run its course, take it to step back and just let it be.

You will leave more room for people who should be in your circle and that are adding value to your life. And when it comes to spiritual health, I’m going to call myself out here and say this is definitely an area I need to get back on track with in the new year.

Setting Boundaries: “And if you’re being distracted from reaching your purpose or Someone is stealing your joy from life, then you need to let it go or limit your time that you’re around them. I can promise you that if you don’t, someone else will reach the goals that you aspire to attain because they’re willing to make the necessary cuts in their life.”

Spiritual Health and Well-Being

Past few years, I personally have let social media consume me in so many ways. And one of those ways is with fear, whether it’s been going down rabbit holes, worrying about the state of the world as we rapidly approach 2030, if you know, you know, over analyzing the evils of Hollywood, getting my blood pressure up when I watch the news and see what the quote unquote leaders in our country, are doing or not doing, whatever the case may be.

I’ve decided that If it’s planting seeds of doubt or creating chaos in my life, then I need to distance myself from it.

Now this doesn’t mean I have put my head in the sand like I’m an ostrich.

K? I am very much aware of what is going on in the world and understand that it is not rainbows and lollipops, but it’s also about recognizing when a topic has become an obsession or you’ve become too hyper aware of something that it prevents you from living out the beautiful life that God has called you to, and that seems pretty selfish in my opinion. You know?

Finding Hope in God: “God didn’t make us to worry or live a life full of doubt. The reality is he is ultimately in control.”

I know in the new year and going forward that I, and you too, should be focusing on our creator because he’s the one that provides hope, faith and love. And we need to understand and know in our heart of all hearts that he will never forsake us, nor will he ever leave us.

Which is why if I’m not diving into that word every day, like I know I should, then I’m leaving openings for the enemy to creep in with his tactics. And he’s very, very smart. He has literally the playbook.

Focus on faith, positivity, and gratitude in daily life

Right? So I believe that the way to do this is to speak positively over our lives through affirmations and gratitude. So each day, I plan on getting back into writing down at least three things that I’m grateful for, as well as writing down my goals for myself and my family. Right?

And I encourage you to do the same. I actually have two separate journals for this. One is my gratitude journal and then one is my goals and affirmations journal. And I write in them literally, like, the smallest things, you know, because sometimes it’s hard.

You wake up and you had a rough night or whatever, where you have to find even the smallest things to be grateful for because we have so much to be grateful for. And I encourage you to have these journals yourself.

And to quote my favorite Christian artists, Brandon Lake, “Fear is not my future”.

You lean into God, make your relationship with him stronger. and I know it will serve you well. So walking into the new year, we will be forgetting the former things, right?

Letting go of former habits and embracing change for a prosperous new year

Despite how easy it is to fall into our old habits, we must make new ones in order to grow as people. Change is hard, but it is good for the mind, body, and soul.

Prioritize the right people, plus include the proper nourishment for your life, and you will find peace. I wish you a very prosperous new year that is full of love, wins, amazing health, and fond memories. Cheers.

If you wanna get more of this type of content, make sure you follow me on Instagram at @macrowley. And if you love this episode, let me know by tagging me on IG or even leaving a podcast review. See you next week.