Ten Minutes a Day: Focus on Health

Unrelated to this article but cute hedgehog in Kyiv, Ukraine

At this point in the new year, I am guessing you have been bombarded with articles and emails about how to set goals and keep resolutions. Planning for an entire year, or even making a dent in an apparent laundry list of things to change, improve, create, or do can overwhelm even the most Type-A personality. For most people, this Sisyphean project causes the brain and the body to seek the level ground of the status quo.
 
What if it were simple? By simple, I mean moving incrementally forward for a long-term cumulative sense of balance and well being. The first focus should be health. Without good health, any other aspect of our lives loses luster.  Admittedly, some aspects of our health and aging bodies we cannot change, but no matter what the current state of our health is, we can always make changes to significantly improve the quality of our life. Good health encompasses emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual balance.

To continue the theme from the last blog, I feel it is important to concentrate first on the vision, and then let that vision unfold into an action plan. Close your eyes and envision a balanced life of abundant energy and health--what would that feel and look like? What could you then feel inspired to participate in? How would your life feel different than it does currently?
 
From this vision, you can start to piece together action steps.  If you have time, draft a written step-by-step plan with deadlines and objective benchmarks. If you do not have time for that, you can still commit now to a simple daily action: ten minutes a day for the rest of the month. Each day, allot yourself ten minutes to first revisit this image of health and well being, and then, in the time remaining, take some action. This action could include making a doctor’s appointment, searching online for information, eating an apple, drinking water instead of soda, or just taking a quick walk, stretching, or meditating. Just ten minutes. That is it. Then, give yourself a gold star and permission to do anything else in excess of that if you want. At least you know you have kept a commitment to ten minutes for your health today. By the end of the month, I bet you have made even more progress than that.
 
You are worth it.