Inspired Resolutions [Guest Post]

This is a guest post by LeAnne R. Ruzzamenti, Director of Marketing Communications, Dairy Council of California. LeAnne is a marketing professional and mom to five-year-old twins. She is passionate about food, family and photography and when she’s not incorporating healthy habits into her life, she’s helping others learn from the registered dietitian nutritionists at HealthyEating.org.

When I read Maryann’s post about why she was committing to meditation this year, it really resonated with me. As a frantic working mother, I, too, struggle with finding time for even the most important things, so thinking about adding a new goal or resolution is overwhelming. Thankfully, the latest research on changing behavior and habits finds that setting small goals is most effective. Even I can commit to taking a few extra deep breaths and chatting with the kids instead of asking them to get out of my way while I frantically rush around the kitchen to get dinner on the table!

So how do you move from small goals to more lofty ones like Maryann’s resolution to meditate everyday? While everyone is different, research has found some commonalities that work for most people. Some of those steps are outlined in the graphic below. Let’s look at how Maryann set herself up for success:

While her resolution to meditate every day was lofty, she got focused and prepared by reading and researching to find an approach. She’s holding herself accountable and finding her tribe by blogging about her experience. She gave herself some realistic flexibility on length of time, depending on how she feels, and she’s starting first thing in the morning before her attention is diverted. Finally, she even left space in her closet that will serve as a reminder.

Did Maryann inspire you to set a resolution, new goal or even take a small step to improve your health or happiness? How is it going?