Ah, another new year! The time many of us formulate some New Year’s Resolutions. How many times do we actually keep those resolutions? If you are like me, not too often. Yet it is important for those of us in our retirement years to focus on holistic well-being, including physical health (diet and exercise), mental/emotional health (learning, social connection and gratitude), personal organization (finances, home) and purpose (hobbies, volunteering).
This year why not try something a little different. Focus on developing some “action plans” in some or all of the above areas: physical health, mental health, social connection, and organization. Feel free to add other areas if you like. Some folks find it helpful to pick an area of focus for each month. Say in January, you select Physical Health as your focus.
Focus on being realistic, specific and small. Instead of “exercise more,” write down “walk for 20 minutes, 3 times a week.” Set yourself up for success. Remember it is all about progress, not perfection, allowing for setbacks. Focus more on adding positive habits, not upon eliminating bad ones. It is better to make an action plan to read more non-fiction than to stop watching so much TV.
Next, consult your weekly calendar and add WALK to the decided number of days. You are more likely to act on your action plan if you see “WALK” at 10:00 on Monday on your calendar. Track your successes by circling that word in a colored pen when you do it. Or draw an arrow to another time and day if your plans have to change.
For Physical Health January, you might want to develop other actions plans such as one for eating healthier (examples can include adding one more vegetable or fruit per meal or designating two or more nights a week to honor Dry January). Make it easy to follow through with your plans. For instance, stock up on fruits and veggies early in the week and/or consider posting a menu plan on the frig.
I have read it takes 30 days to establish new habits so let’s assume we can move on to another focus for February. Maybe Mental Health February. Action plans for this month could involve setting aside time for reading, signing up for a course, doing puzzles, writing down your life story, or even actively counting your blessings.
Then on to Relationship March, maybe. What action plans can you develop for yourself for seeing old friends more often and/or cultivating some new relationships? An example action plan is to call/email/or text a family member three times a week. Another would be to join a civic club or to volunteer at the Flowering Bridge.
Just in time for “spring cleaning” could come Organization April. Action plans could include one organized on a room-by-room basis for decluttering or clearing out (and shredding) old medical records, bank statements and receipts. Remember that our goal is to be realistic, specific, and take it in small steps.
So, what happens in May? Only you can decide what would be the most helpful. You could attack something new or go back to January’s actions plans and repeat them. Remember: progress, not perfection, is the key.
