#NotetoSelf: Achieve your mental, physical, and emotional goals this 2022

Fridays: Mindfulness by Miles FROM THE DESK OF MILES EVERSON: Welcome to my “Mindfulness by Miles” article edition! Each Friday, I am sharing with you my experiences or insights on a topic or event that I find useful in my everyday business and personal life. My hope is that my personal interests can also help you in your career and personal life. This week, I am bringing you a list of health goals that I hope to achieve within the new year. Personally, I have a passion for being actively aware of how my overall health is doing on a daily basis. By writing out these goals, I find it easier to pinpoint areas for improvement and stick to attainable and effective practices. Keep reading to know my top 10 goals for my mental, physical, and emotional well-being. I hope by sharing these things, I’ll also be able to help you work towards your own 2022 health pursuits. CEO, MBO Partners Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

#NotetoSelf: Achieve your mental, physical, and emotional goals this 2022 Let’s face it, most of us are already beginning to see the onset of exhaustion since we rang in 2022. And as much as we want to keep up our steam of excitement for the new year ahead, it’s not always that easy. For many, New Year is a time for a fresh start or a new beginning, but so many of us only set ourselves up for disappointment. And while that original goal of: “I’ll exercise every day!” or “I’ll lose 10 pounds by Valentine's Day,” sounded great at the time; we slowly begin to feel the pressure as January comes to a close. Of course, that’s not to say these are not valid resolutions to strive for, it’s just for many, these far-off goals begin to feel more like a burden instead of an exciting new beginning. And let’s face it, no one looks forward to starting a diet, and giving up pizza, right? Nonetheless, start each day by stepping off the icy bathroom floor and onto a small square scale. This is why I've come up with a list of thirty goals which you can strive for to improve not only your health, but your overall well-being. For convenience, I’ve broken them into three categories: Mental, Physical, and Emotional. By focusing your intentions on a list of items, knowing you’re bound to achieve at least a few, instead of hyper focusing on one task (like running a mile each day), I promise that you won’t only feel better health-wise, but your enthusiasm and excitement to continue into 2022 will last significantly longer. Mental: Everything starts with where your mind goes. If you continue to think a certain way, you will begin to believe and physically act a certain way. So, I encourage you to set these 10 goals to help change the way you think, in order to become a healthier version of yourself. Write down your daily habits and then ask yourself what can be added or changed. Unfollow every social media account that makes you compare yourself negatively to someone else. Take a class you’ve always wanted to: Cocktail making, knitting, or my favorite Krav Maga. Add something nutritious to your diet each day Download the Calm app or other mindfulness apps. Call people, don’t just text. Cook a favorite meal, instead of going to Grubhub or Doordash. Sit in a child’s pose whenever you need to. Only eat when you’re hungry. Not when you’re bored. Find a weekly podcast that will help you learn new things. Physical: We all tend to focus on physical aspects sometimes. But instead of focusing on looking a certain way, focus on how you physically feel in your body. With these 10 goals, I hope you’ll become aware of how strong, flexible, and good you feel in your own body. Begin to look up when you walk, not down at the ground. Find a workout buddy or someone you can talk to each week about each other's workouts. Accountability helps. On days your body is tired. Rest or do light stretching. Try a workout class you’ve never done before. Track your sleep and make sure you are getting enough. Take the stairs instead of the elevator/escalator. Get outside every day (even if it’s raining). Drink water to fuel your muscles or drink a glass of water before each meal. Schedule standing or walking breaks throughout your workday. Sit up straight. Emotional: One of the most important lessons in life I have learned is to not run away from emotional work. I encourage you to take these 10 steps to confront your emotions and be able to recognize them without judgment in the new year. Identify three things you love about yourself. Make a list of the 10 things that stress you out the most then identify solutions to confront these. Clean out your closet and keep clothes you only feel confident in. When you commit a mistake and are corrected by someone, say “Thank you” instead of “I'm sorry. Make a playlist that makes you want to dance. Write or say something out loud each day that you are grateful for. Buy yourself that coffee, flower, or something on a random day. Compliment yourself in the mirror each day. Never apologize for how you feel. Instead, acknowledge them, write them down, and then decide on the proper solution. When you notice you’re jealous of someone, stop and instead say out loud that you’re happy for them. Overall, instead of heading into the new year with a goal or goals which will only disappoint you, I encourage you to take this list or make your own, a few goals in each category of health (goals) that you wish to be mindful of this year. There are numerous small steps you can take to be both your healthiest and happiest self this year. By not hyper focusing on dropping two jeans sizes, you’ll be able to make progress towards a healthy lifestyle that will keep you motivated. And I promise you, that if you change the way you set your health goals, not only will you notice physical differences, but you’ll also be aware of how much happier and more intentional you are as well. Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn.     Stay tuned for next Friday’s article!