Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise for 2015

Originally published January 4, 2015 (Submission copy)

The beginning of another year – it is time for my yearly pep talk, reflection, motivation, and gentle reminder issue. This time, I’m going to have you consider – just one. Too often, we begin the year with extraordinary hopes and dreams that come February, we are burnt out. “I’m going to lose weight, work out; cook healthy meals; volunteer; and perform in local theater.” Sound familiar? This year, change one thing. Adopt one new habit. Start one new project. Just one.

Happy

This dreary, cold, snowy, time of year – how can you be happy? Find one thing that makes you smile. Is it your morning coffee? Brew it and enjoy it, instead of rushing out the door. Family? Consider the time you have with them quality time. In the evenings, turn off the television, make a bowl of popcorn and play a game with the entire family. If your pets bring you joy, take them on walks, enjoying the outdoors. Establish a routine of “happy” time, and reward yourself by sticking to it.

Healthy

What if you did just ONE thing toward getting healthy? Start small. Take a walk. Play with your kids. Get up and move during commercials. Quit smoking, or quit any other unhealthy habits. Add fruits and vegetables to every meal. Reduce your calories, or make better choices about what food you eat. Just one – pick one and follow through.

Wealthy

Take stock. I don’t mean play the stock market – but take stock of all that you have. The holidays likely contributed to an overstocking of clothing, kitchen items, or newer and better versions of outdated items. Are overstocked items worthy of sale? If so, list one item every few weeks online. If it doesn’t sell, consider donating it. The wealth you find in “real estate” space in your kitchen, closets, drawers, basement, or garage will make you feel like a million bucks!

Wise

This time of year should find you ready to pursue other interests. The shopping, baking, wrapping, decorating is done. Put your thinking cap on and head back to school. There are so many classes available either toward your degree or to pursue a hobby. The Orland Park Public Library; Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Community Hospital, even Williams-Sonoma! Pick one. Photography? Learning a foreign language? How about learning cooking or baking? If you haven’t enjoyed reading in a while because of your busy schedule, consider reading just one new book, or joining a book club to keep you motivated?

Resolutions were the topic of discussion at one party in particular over the holidays. Various people weighed in on what their goals were and how they did compared to last year. Jack Felkamp, Orland Park resident and owner of Chicagoland Hyponotherapy Center, www.Chicagolandhypnotherapy.com provided insight into why we may not succeed in our ambitions – it is not all our fault.

“Our mind is a magnificent machine; but it’s a machine that doesn’t like change. In fact, given the choice, our mind would rather continue behaviors it knows (even if detrimental), rather than behaviors that are unknown.

“When we segment our minds into our conscious and subconscious, we come to realize that only about 12% of our behavior comes from our conscious mind, while about 88% of our behaviors are driven by our subconscious. Our conscious mind is where we do our “critical thinking” and our “in the moment” decision making. Conversely, our subconscious mind is where all of our experiences, beliefs, and associations reside. These behaviors driven by our subconscious mind are important because they are automatic decisions created by all of our life experiences and associations. In other words, subconscious behaviors are our lifelong habits.

“So the question is whether this automatic decision making can be changed. Done correctly, we can actually reprogram our subconscious mind to change how we react and behave. In an 88 to 12 vote, 88 always wins.

“The bottom line is when we do something like a New Year’s resolution; it’s done in our conscious mind and may actually last for a short time. But because our minds function best with what it knows, it has a natural tendency to revert to those known behaviors. It’s not until we work to change the programming in our subconscious mind, that we can create permanent change,” encouraged Mr. Felkamp (information cited from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Tarzana, CA, www.hypnosis.edu).

By making one simple change you will likely want to employ more good habits in your life. Plus, by changing one thing at a time, it is less overwhelming, and you are more able to follow through with that one goal. Lastly, you will accomplish your goal and feel motivated to accomplish another!