I’m ready to kick off 2018! Are you?
And I’m blessed to say that a bright, sunny Bahamian beach is an ideal place to ponder the year ahead.
The New Year’s full of promise in so many ways, and in fact – those gifts are already flowing in for each of us.
This moment is what counts when it comes to figuring out what’s going to be next for us. To do this effectively – being focused is our friend. So I invite you to choose just one, specific focus for your health goals for 2018.
If one goal seems sparse, you might be leaning towards going for 3 or 4 instead…although I recommend you avoid my mistake! My thinking used to be that by setting 3 or 4 – even if I didn’t do all of them, then I might do one…
…although I’ve come to realise that for me, this inadvertently assumes failure.
AND, more importantly, the power of focusing all our energy on solely one thing is huge. Making a single task the focal point draws all our energy towards that one single goal and increases our efficiency1.
Perhaps you have a goal of creating a regular habit of exercising or drinking 1.5+ litres of water a day (remembering this is plain, filtered water, rather than tea, coffee or soda). Or, maybe it’s finding a routine bedtime ritual or a daily walk.
The power in getting this single goal in place at the beginning of the year often helps us actually reach our goal sooner than our set target date. Current research says it takes 66 days to get a habit in place, and one of my mentors says really it takes a year. One concept that I find motivating is if I meet my goal in 66 days, I can add in another goal, so long as I stay consistent with that first one.
So, I’m curious to hear what your focused goal is this coming year for your health – maybe you have a goal to be running up and down this gorgeous Bahamian beach, and if so, come and join me next year!
1 In the Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz explains the problem of not having a single focus: “The biggest cost — assuming you don’t crash — is to your productivity. In part, that’s a simple consequence of splitting your attention, so that you’re partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. [… W]hen you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you’re increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 per cent” (https://hbr.org/2012/03/the-magic-of-doing-one-thing-a.html).
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O, is a Lifestyle Consultant, with over 26 years experience in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified osteopath, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, speaker, health mentor and Health Brand Ambassador. She loves to globe-trot with her husband Chris (NZ, Australia, USA, UK + Europe and Indonesia are current favourites) relishing an outdoor lifestyle and time with family and friends.
