But to be honest, the whole notion of setting a bunch of personal goals just because I have to buy a new calendar has always seemed strange to me, not to mention non-productive. My sister and I talked about it once, and both she and I prefer to set goals based around something more realistic, like new job, or new semester, or whatever. Not to mention that the kinds of things people set their goals about (here's a list of the Top 10 Resolutions for reference) don't really apply to me. I enjoy my life. I don't smoke. I'm never going to join a gym just because it's January and I certainly have a personal thing about dieting.
However, I do have a goal this year. Not necessarily because it's a new year or even because of the new semester. It's something that's been building for a while, and something that I feel pretty good about.
To be honest though, in some ways I feel like I'm going about it the wrong way. Not my goal, but setting my goal. I'm a big fan of setting "SMART goals" because I think they're a great thing: they're clear, they're organized, and they work. (SMART goals are goals that are "set" within a framework: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Resource-using, Time-bound). HOWEVER, this particular goal doesn't really fit into that framework, because it isn't specific or measurable or time-bound. It just IS.
My goal is to take care of my body. Of course, there are a few things that go into that, but because of the mindset behind what I'm doing none of them are specific or measurable. I'm not looking to lose a certain amount of weight. I don't have a specific fitness goal like running a mile under a certain amount of time. I definitely don't have a goal about wearing a certain pants size. I just want to feel like I'm taking care of my body. Like I said, not exactly SMART Goal material.
While it might be difficult to set anything specific with this goal, there are a few components that I can put into list form:
- Regular medical check-ups (both illness- and wellness-based)
- Getting more movement into my day
- Listening to my body (instead of my taste buds) about what food my body is craving
- More fruits, veggies, and whole grains
- Avoiding processed foods
- Enough restful sleep
- Vitamins
- Regular skin maintenance (facials, pedicures, SPF, etc.; skin is the largest organ of the body)
- LOTS of water
- Attention to mental health, especially stress
- Cosmetic care (hair cut/color, make up, clothing, etc.)
- More exposure to natural sunlight
It's not a complete list, obviously, but it hits a bunch of key components. I really am focusing on whole-body wellness (physical and mental), and I really do care about my body because of all the things it does for me and gives to me. I'm grateful for my body, and it's time I started treating it like the beautiful thing it is. So that's my goal for this year: take care of my body. It's the only one I'm going to get. And I'm falling in love with it one day, one green bean, one nap, one walk, one strawberry at a time.
