Welcome to 2022.  2021 was difficult at best.  COVID is still causing issues, and we are still very divided in so many areas.  There were many things to be thankful for, however, including making it through another year.   Many families are still having trouble with simple things like housing and finances, but there are jobs available and hopefully people are getting back to work.  2022 is new, and it’s unclear how things will progress.  Many people will be making resolutions, but be careful.  If you decide to set goals and make resolutions, make them reasonable and attainable.  Don’t make resolutions that increase stress and result in you feeling bad, not better.

                Many times when I work with people, we work on focused goals.  The goals have to be manageable and realistic.  So many times people make weight loss goals that are not realistic.  I had a patient set a goal of losing 30 pounds in two months.  We talked about how realistic it was to have that goal, but she was focused.  She joined a gym and changed her eating habits.  Her focus lasted about 3 weeks.  She wasn’t able to maintain her eating goals or her going to the gym.  Work got busy and her stress increased after the holidays, causing her goal to lose the weight to be put on the back burner.  If weight loss is a goal, make sure you plan for increased stress as the holidays end.  Also make sure you are planning for long term life patterns, not just quick things.  Never diet.  Plan to live healthy, including eating healthy and including exercise for stress management and overall health.

                Many people also seem to make financial and relationship goals for the New Year.  If you are in debt and want to set goals to pay off debt, be realistic about a budget.  Like weight loss, managing debt can be tricky, and you have to plan for bills and a slush fund for things you don’t see coming.  So many times, people struggle with unexpected issues like home or car repairs, or health care bills.  It’s hard to plan for everything, but you have to make sure that you are always putting money away for a “rainy” day.  We all know that sometimes it rains, and sometimes it pours, so being ready for anything is important.

                If it’s relationship goals, also keep your expectations realistic.  If you have a partner, and you want to work on communication, talk to your partner about your hopes and work on the issues that you and your partner agree need improvement.  If you are hoping to meet someone new, think about things that you enjoy.  No one meets someone sitting on a couch in their own living room, so you have to get out and meet people.  Each activity can be a whole new dating pool, and it can link you to people who have similar interests.  Starting a relationship with someone who already shares some values can make a relationship all that more rewarding.  Whatever your relationship goals, make sure they are attainable, realistic, and won’t increase your stress.  Nobody needs that in the New Year.

                There are so many other resolutions that people make, but those seem to be the big three, from my experience.  I hope your New Year brings you happiness and health.  I hope you find a path that leads you to a life that helps you feel successful and productive.   If you make resolutions, take care to make ones that will bring happiness, not stress and failure.  It’s all part of being happy, for life.