It’s that time of year again — a new year and a refreshed outlook for 2025. Many of you will create a New Year’s Resolution, often revolving around some health topic. And, unfortunately for many of you, this resolution won’t last very long. Why is that? The simple answer is that we make our resolutions too difficult, too much of a change, or too great of an endeavor that we just simply aren’t ready for the amount of effort it requires. The newness wears off, the changes become painful, and we fall back into the rut of our habits.
So, I have a better resolution for you! I want your New Year’s Resolution to be this:
Make one healthy choice for yourself each day.
At the end of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is distressed after learning how similar he is to his archnemesis Lord Voldemort. The wise school headmaster Albus Dumbledore replies, “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
As true as it is in this fairy tale novel, it is true for us in our real and everyday lives. Our choices are what ultimately define our health, not our abilities to be healthy. You may have the ability to lift heavy weights, or cook more at home, or quit smoking cold turkey. But this ability will never make it into your reality until you actually make the choice to do so. The reason your New Year’s Resolution fails, in part, is because you never made the daily choice to continue it.
By making one healthy choice each day, you are making an investment into your future self. You are showing yourself that you are WORTH making healthy choices. And with each healthy choice, you are fighting against the pull of your undesired habits.
You chose to open this email and read it this far.
What’s going to be your next choice?
Choose to not smoke today.
Choose to not have a beer after work today.
Choose to finally buy those dumbbells sitting in your Amazon wish list today.
Choose to purchase sparkling water instead of soda today.
Choose to have a family dinner without electronics today.
Choose to call a parent or sibling and tell them you love them today.
Choose to go on a walk today.
Choose to give money to the person at the traffic light today.
Choose to talk to the neighbor that walks down the street today.
Choose to go to church today.
Choose to go to bed at 9:30 p.m. today.
Choose to say something nice to a co-worker today.
You see? Any good choice is a choice for better health in some way. These choices don’t have to be difficult (and honestly, probably shouldn’t be at first). As you move along in the year, feel free to make your choices more focused (diet, exercise, social engagement, sleep, etc.) and intentional to something that is meaningful to you and your current stage of life.
Lastly, I encourage you to write these choices down in a notebook. No matter how big or small, document the choices you make — you will be surprised at how many you remember by the end of the year. And my hope for you is that you will also be surprised at how these choices have added up to better health.
Troy Jackson, MD