Happy January 2015, everyone!  I hope that your first 6 days of the new year have been excellent!  You might have been telling yourself that January 1 was the day the “rubber met the road” as far as choosing to change things for this year, but I really feel like the strength of your conviction is tested on January 6.  You’re likely back to work, as well as your previous routine.  You’ve had at least one day back, and so now your shining New Year resolve is being struck by the daylight of the every day.

This is what I want to encourage you about today:

Don’t let your resolutions eat you whole.

Resolutions weren’t invented with the purpose of making you sad and weary by January 6th!  They are meant to remind you about the newness of the year, and how full of ripe moments it is.  2015 is a gift.  Every day is a gift.  Today, January 6th 2015, is a great big gift, and I could have missed it if I had not been paying attention.  There are things that I will get to do only today and people I will have the opportunity to influence.

To celebrate stepping out into the new year, especially regarding our health, I’ve made a handy list of helpful things that I do to reinforce the resolves I’ve made for specific changes.

1. Tell someone you trust what you’re resolving to do, and ask them to help.

(Ex:  If you plan to take a walk around your block 3 times each week, ask someone to check on you at the end of each week to see whether you’ve done it.  That way, you know someone will be asking so you will be infinitely more likely to actually do it.)

2. Is it a S.M.A.R.T goal?

These aren’t just for school.  Using this acronym will help you figure out what you are actually going to do.  Saying “I want to be healthier” is good….but very vague, and if you have no idea of what you actually want to do, then it’s even more likely that you’re not going to do it.  And that you’ll be confused about it later.

S = Specific

Ex:  To do a free-standing head stand.

M = Measureable

Ex: When you can do it unassisted. (aka:  How will you know when you’ve reached it?)

A = Achievable

Ex: Is it something that you can potentially achieve?

R = Resources

Ex:  What resources will you use or involve to reach this goal? (ex:  a trainer, someone to hold your legs up, the wall, a YouTube video).

T = Timeline

Ex:  Break it down:  How often will you practice, and for how many minutes each time?


3.  What is your motivation?

Why is it that it has occurred to you to set out this specific thing as your big, over-arching goal for the whole year?  What happened to cause you to think of it?  Does it fill you will excitement and optimism, or dread?  (All of these are things you’ll need to wrestle out and decide).

4.  What will happen if you don’t reach this goal?
5.  Keep a journal.

Write it down!  In March, when you look back, you’ll remember what you had dreamed of doing and can re-evaluate whether you want to continue or not.

6.  Don’t let the ‘goal’ become an idol.

This one is the most important.  Don’t let a well-intentioned aim take a place of unmerited authority or weight in your life.  Make sure you maintain a correct perspective of this goal.  Whether it’s to bicycle across Ontario, or read the entire Hobbit cover to cover, or to learn conversational French, these are not the point of your life.  They can be useful tools in your life (especially the French), but they aren’t why you’re here.

Your life is not meant to be a collection of annual “resolutions” that have propelled you along.  Your life here has had more thought put into it than that.

There is nothing wrong with making a resolution!  They can be excellent tools, but don’t let January run all over you with them!

Today is January 6th, 2015.  We are only doing this year one day at a time, so make sure that you enjoy the gift that this one is!


Talk to you again soon!

Take care!



P.S. – Our office is open again this week, so make sure you book your appointments!  I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon this year!

P.P.S – In the comments, let me know what you think about resolutions!  Yay or nay?  Have you made one?  Let me know what it is!  Or, connect with us on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest!

Railroadbridge Jacki Potorke



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