A new year is often referred to as a clean slate or a blank cheque to start afresh, rectify past mistakes and pull all your resources to achieve new goals. A great year isn’t one devoid of mistakes, failures, disappointments or wrong decisions; it’s a perfect blend of the good, the bad, the messy and the unusual saves.

And to enjoy a great year, there are some choices you have to make toward some aspects of your life:

EXPRESS GRATITUDE ALL YEAR LONG

Those who coined the adage ‘life isn’t a bed of roses’ sure were speaking out of experience. Good things don’t happen to you all the time and yes, bad things actually do happen to good people sometimes.

One way to keep sane through the year is to be grateful for the things that you have, while hoping for others to fall in place. It’s really the little things of life that count; so count the little things you enjoy and be grateful for them. Everytime you get up in the morning, be grateful for that; you have a job to go to or a business to run, be grateful for that; you have a family and friends who love you and care for you; be grateful for that. One thing you should do this year is to express A LOT of gratitude.

STOP CHEATING ON YOUR SLEEP

Sleep is one of the most important factors of a good health. I know there’s not much need advising people to get 7-8 hours of sleep because even I don’t get that much but we should still pay attention to the quality and amount of sleep we get. We need to learn how to take breaks, pause or stop altogether, and rest, most especially when our bodies ask for it. We see the signs but ignore them anyway. Let’s do better this year; more rest gives you a more refreshed body and mind to deal with the daily demands of life. Whenever you can sleep or rest, please do.

EAT THE GOOD

Fast food is becoming more creative, innovative and more readily available than healthy food, and this is even more reason for us to be deliberate with our food choices, taking into consideration type and portion. I could go on and on about the healthy choices you should make but I’ll be reiterating what you have heard from dieticians and what you have read on my blog here.

This year, try the basics of healthy eating – eat some colours, eat your greens and stay away from binging on the junks. Incorporate these healthy choices into your meals this year. Of course, you could eat a little fast food in little portions sometimes but the bulk that constitute your eating habits should be the good, the healthy and the well-prepared choices.

GET MOVING

Your weight might be great and your shape might be “super-out-of-this-world” but you still need to get your heart pumping. We know by now, you may have already broken your fitness resolutions for the year (you are not alone) but there are still 11 months before another year dawns on us. Pick yourself up and start small if you have never been one for the fitfam life. And if you do exercise, keep your routine if it works, get more knowledge and expert help for the kinds of exercises that best suit you. Get moving this year. Take brisk walks, cycle sometimes, take a walk to the store instead of driving down, just involve your muscles in keeping fit.