How to Use Valentine's Day for a Resolution Check Up

Valentine's Day is a great day to take a moment to check in on how we are doing with those resolutions.  Why it's not too late to resolve great things for 2018. 

I'm a big fan of fresh starts. I love waking up on the first day of a new year and imagining all the ways I'm finally going to perfect myself in the next 365 days. Then January second rolls around and I just want to eat a box of cookies on the couch watching Notting Hill for the four thousandth time.

Anyone else? 

So here we are six weeks in. I like to use Valentine's Day as a day for a resolution check up.

 Mostly because eating healthily and exercising are two of the things on my list as well as most everyone else's. All those hearts floating around in the middle of February can be put to use as reminders of why we made resolutions in the first place and to help us get back on track if we've given up.

💖 The two most popular resolutions are to eat a more healthy diet and to exercise. Both of those are good for your heart health. Of all the reasons to get moving more and improve our food lifestyle fighting off heart disease is at the top of my list due to family history. So while it's an ongoing quest I do still resolve to improve every year. Valentine's Day is the perfect day to focus on the why and not just the how.

💖 Maybe one of your resolutions was to improve relationships, strengthen your marriage, make new friends, or stay connected. Again, let the hearts remind you that the people you love and care about are a main priority in 2018. And you won't be around for those you love if you don't take care of yourself!

💖 Was your resolution to get organized? Remind yourself that one way to love yourself and your family is to be able to find things. Think about how good it makes your heart feel when you can find what you need or you wake up to a clean kitchen. As The Fly Lady says "It's like your house is giving you a hug."

💖 Valentine's Day is also a great day to make that doctor's appointment or check up you've been putting off. How about using it to make that dreaded dental appointment. The health of our teeth and gums is directly linked to heart health.

💖 If you are a creative and want to make sure you get some work done every day (see yesterday's post) think of it in terms of putting your heart into your work. You might even save a valentine or pick up a heart trinket for your desk to serve as a fun daily reminder. 

If you don't have any hard and fast resolutions, you might want to use this month for making minor repairs and completing nagging tasks. Here's what I accomplished last February.

Give yourself a little treat for the day either as a reward or to jump start a resolution. I've been struggling with making my 10,000 steps while the weather is cold but also because using my phone for that means that no steps I take without my phone count. It's discouraging to have my phone say I took 242 steps because the only time I had it with me was going to and from my car. At the gym I lay it on the treadmill and at the store I put my purse (with phone inside) in my cart.

As a Valentine treat for myself I ordered a Fitbit that will arrive today. That means I can put it on when I get up and get an accurate count. In the past a "treat" might have meant letting myself have a sugary pink cookie or a few chocolates. You do know "a few" means the whole box, right? Your treat could also be a massage, yoga class, or magazine. Find a way to reward yourself that doesn't involve food.

If you need some help with making changes and learning what works and what doesn't when building new habits read, Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin.

So whether you have been trudging along diligently with your resolutions or you abandoned them on day two, this is a great week to either give yourself credit or just start again. Keep going and do not give up!

We all need more than one chance a year to get it right. 💝