The start of a new year is always a popular time to re-evaluate and make changes to live a more optimal, focused and healthy life. This, of course, is a good thing. What is not such a good thing is how we often set unrealistic goals for ourselves that are not sustainable long term. Staring down a resolution list can be especially daunting when it outlines expectations like:

• I will lose 20 pounds
• I will exercise once a day
• I will run a marathon four months from now
• I will never eat sugar again…

The list goes on. For a few weeks it seems like a breeze, but then slowly life gets in the way trying to do it all, and everything begins to get incredibly difficult. And when that dreaded day comes, the day you eat an entire bag of gummie-bears or realize that you have never liked running in the first place, it can be a big hit to your confidence.

I am speaking from personal experience and have spent many February’s feeling pretty crummy for not being able to keep my ‘never eat chips again’ goal or ‘run 10km four times a week goal’. I have learned that focusing on emotional goals rather than just physical goals is a really positive way to move into a new year.

For example, this year I have made a resolution to write down a few things I am grateful for everyday. As a new mom, I find that I don’t have a lot of quiet time to think and reflect, so this has helped me to appreciate all the amazing things that happen in a day. Even after a few days, reading the entries has been incredibly uplifting and empowering.

I also have physical goals as I am now five months post-partum, and healthy living is important to me. But these goals include the word ‘try,’ as in, ‘try to get to stroller fit’ 3 out of 4 sessions a month, rather than ‘I will make every class’. The first option gives me room to breathe without feeling like I failed. It also means that I am more likely to stick with it rather than give up after missing a couple classes.