Goals for 2023: Remember to add wellness

Hey Bloomers! 🌼💛 As we are nearing the new year, many people across the world are writing down their goals for 2023. They are thinking of who they want to be and what they want to achieve. However, some people don’t focus on how they want to feel. This is possibly one of the most important categories of goals that can be made. So, Bloomers, the question is, do you also have wellness goals for 2023?

But before that – celebrating your wins! 

Before we get into the blog post, I want to encourage you to think of the goals that you met in this past year. It is easy to set new goals year after year without reflecting on the ones that you made in the previous year. You achieved many things in the year. Some small, and others enormous. I want to challenge you to celebrate these wins before going on to set new ones. You are not a robot that sets goals, achieves them, and moves on to the next. You are a human being who put time, work and dedication into achieving those goals. So, before making new ones, enter a place of gratitude and be proud of yourself for what you have done. 

Back to the post – defining wellness goals

It is important to go back to basics and discuss what wellness is. Wellness is the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health (The Global Wellness Institute). This definition brings to the discussion an important thing about wellness, which is that it is made up of many parts. This is where the phrase ‘holistic wellness’ comes in. Holistic wellness is made up of a number of factors and some of these are the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual and social. Therefore, in order to effectively set wellness goals, it is helpful to divide them into these categories and be intentional about which part of your wellness you are dedicating a goal to. 

The importance of setting wellness goals 

It is important to set wellness goals because how you feel matters. If you were to achieve all the other goals that you had set but were left feeling unhappy and not at peace, would that be worth it? Wellness goals are important as not only do they ensure that you feel good, but they also help you to achieve your other goals due to you being in a better state of mind and body. 

You should be intentional about behaving in a way that leads you to the feelings you want to experience. Do you want be happier? Feel more at peace? Be energised? Fit? Feel closer to God? Calmer? Less lonely? Then you need to make wellness goals. Examples of wellness goals will be discussed later in this blog post. The main takeaway from this section is that how you feel matters. Don’t ever let anyone discourage you from that fact. You are important and so are your feelings. While living your life and working towards all the other goals you have set, you need to feel good, whatever that may mean to you. This is the importance of setting wellness goals. 

Setting wellness goals for 2023: 2 tips 

In setting these goals, there are three important things to remember. These are as follows: the term ‘wellness’ encompasses multiple things and your wellness journey is a personal one. 

1. The term ‘wellness’ encompasses multiple things 

As stated earlier, the term ‘wellness’ encompasses multiple things. Understanding the concept of holistic wellness ensures that you will be specific as you set your goals. For instance, you can set emotional goals, such as how you want to better handle situations where previously, you were unable to control your emotions. You can set mental goals, such as practicing meditation in order to train your brain to be calm in stressful situations. You can set spiritual goals, such as creating a stronger relationship with God. There can also be physical goals, such as going on walks consistently. Wellness encompasses a lot of things. Choose the areas that you’re lacking in and remember not to overwhelm yourself with too many goals. That might have the opposite effect. Overwhelming yourself is not in line with wellness. 

2 – Your wellness journey is a personal one 

Tied to the concept of holistic wellness is the fact that your wellness journey is a personal one. The things that one person focuses on may not necessarily be the things that you, as a unique individual, need to focus on too. Someone might be dedicated to focusing more on their social wellness but you are already thriving in that area of your life. So, you may choose to focus more on emotional wellness as an example. 

You know yourself better than anyone else and for that reason, you know what parts of wellness to focus on. If not, it might help to take some time to check in with yourself through journaling, and see what parts of yourself need improving in order for you to feel good. Remember that this might involve having some uncomfortable conversations with yourself and calling out some bad habits and behaviours that you have. Be real with yourself, while still being kind. Then you’ll know what parts of wellness to focus on. 

Examples of wellness goals for 2023

Here are some examples of wellness goals, but please don’t feel limited to them! 

• Physical goals – exercising, taking walks, eating more fruits, drinking more water, nourishing your hair, stretching. Basically, taking care of and being kind to your body.  
• Mental goals – reading books, breaking a bad habit, starting a good habit, meditating, speaking kindly to yourself, keeping yourself accountable. 
• Emotional goals – becoming self-aware regarding emotions you experience constantly and working on those that need improvement, being there for others, being there for yourself, validating your feelings. 
• Spiritual goals – doing a deep study on certain Bible books, consistent prayer life, serving in church, accessing peace through Biblical declarations. 
• Social goals – spending less/more time alone, evaluating your circle, meeting new people, saying yes to more things, drawing clear boundaries in your relationships. 

P.S. One goal may fall into multiple categories, and this is a great thing. With that one goal, you’ll be tapping into the different parts of holistic wellness. 

Motivation for your wellness goals for 2023

Just as the other goals you’re going to make for 2023, remember that you are absolutely capable. These goals came to your mind for a reason. As long as you put your mind to it, you will get it done. In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins refers to what is known as the Reticular Activating System (RAS). This is simply a mechanism in the brain that determines what you will notice and what you will pay attention to.

Robbins states that once you decide that something is a priority, you give it emotional intensity, and because you are continually focusing on it, the resources that you need to get it will become clear. It is therefore not crucial to know exactly how you’ll achieve your goals as you set them, your RAS will point out what you need to know along the way (Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within). Set whatever goals you want to! Your mind will get you there if you’re dedicated and focused on meeting that goal. Know the why, the how will come later. 

Make them fun… 

One great thing about wellness goals is that you can and should make them fun! They form a lifestyle and are a way of making yourself feel better, so try to enjoy yourself while achieving them. If something is making you feel bad, look for an alternative that will make you feel better. Of course there are some wellness goals that will not be fun at all, like breaking a bad habit or holding yourself accountable, but they are necessary. Decipher which goals you can make fun and which you have to push through as the end result will be worth it for your health and peace of mind. 

Lastly, an easy way to make sure that you achieve your goals is by having a vision board. You can find out more about vision boards on the blog post I wrote HERE. All the best with your wellness goals for 2023! 

Conclusion

Sending you lots of love and light, Bloomers 💛🔆🌼

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