January 1, 2021

It’s another January 1st. But this one feels different to me than any other January 1st. Perhaps, it’s because of a global pandemic that swept us off our feet, and not in a good way, in 2020. Whatever the reason, I’m going to relish in the thought of a brighter future for us all and this is a great start.

This morning, just as the sun hit my bed, I began to read The New York Times’s The Morning Newsletter. I’ve come to appreciate and love The New York Times during these most unprecedented events in our country and world. Today’s newsletter was a Happy New Year greeting along with tips on how to keep resolutions. A few of the suggestions that really clicked for me on how to keep a resolution and make it a habit was “stacking” or “piggybacking” a new habit onto an existing habit or ritual. Lightbulb!

This read led me into a 7-Day Well Challenge, starting this Monday, to show how to build on healthy habits I made during the pandemic. I’m going to give it a shot. Today’s challenge was to make gestures of gratitude — like giving larger tips for delivery workers or appreciative texts to friends — a regular part of your day. So today, I texted an old friend, who has been a really good friend and I love her for it.

If you would like to join the challenge you can sign up for the Well newsletter to receive the next challenge in your inbox.

Happy New Year!