Sure, everyone wants a total reset for 2021, and there are indeed many personal habits that you can improve easily. These range from the basics such as exercising more and eating better, to finding healthier ways of saving money and adding more smiles! When combined, they just might add up to a ‘new-and-improved’ you for the year and life ahead.

According to research, habits account for about 40% of our behavior. Implementing a strategy to build healthier habits (and doing away with old unhealthy ones) is essential for making progress in your life. Rather than ‘breaking bad habits’, you should attempt transforming them into better ones. To do so, you need to determine your habit-trigger (cue) and reward, and then find a new behavior that satisfies both.

It’s not like there’s something magical about the new year, the magic is in our mental capacity to create new narratives for ourselves, and to look for events as opportunities to change the narrative. One such opportunity? January 2021! Since most of us consider the New Year a fresh start, resolutions can be extremely powerful — as long as they’re backed by science, patience, planning and implementation!

At the core of all resolutions are habits. So, if you want to change yourself, that’s where you need to start. Start reflecting on what changes would make you happiest, then pick a ‘theme’ for this year. This way, even if a particular habit doesn’t stick, your overarching intention surely will!

Take the theme of reducing stress, for example. You might try meditating and you realise it’s not your cup of tea. But, since your theme wasn’t ‘meditating 10 minutes a day’, you don’t have to abandon the resolution completely. Maybe you can try yoga or laughter sessions next. Electing a unifying theme will also stimulate your brain to look for additional opportunities to advance your goal.

For those who have a unifying theme about holistic well-being, I present before you a ‘Strategy For 2021’ developed by yours truly. You need to select any one habit (that seems most easy for you to adopt) from the following list of 17 habits and follow it for a period of 21 days (three weeks), after which you will select one more habit and follow suit. Likewise, you need to keep adding just one habit of your choice from the list, every three weeks, and ensure you follow these with a sense of purpose and commitment, for the first three weeks. By the end of 2021, you would have ingrained all seventeen into your lifestyle such that they would become a part of your being!

I understand at times you may feel overwhelmed and want to quit… just tell yourself it’s a matter of 21 days, and in these 21 days, the healthy habit would have slowly made way into your being such that, even without your conscious effort, you will retain the habit.

Here’s the LIST OF 17 HABITS, in no particular order:

1. SUNSHINE IN YOUR LIFE: Make it a point to get more sunshine in your life, both figuratively and literally. Soak in the morning sun every day.
2. THREE HEARTY LAUGHS A DAY: Find opportunities to laugh more with family and friends. Let’s learn to laugh with people and not at people. Consciously seek humour in everyday situations and talks, or watch a comedy movie or read a funny book.
3. MAKE TIME FOR MEDITATION AND PRAYER: Devote some time to meditate and pray. You can start with a few minutes a day, preferably same place and same time.
4. EXERCISE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Depending on your age and fitness level, start some form of exercise and gradually challenge yourself to advanced levels. Walk, run, jog – but keep moving. Simple bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats and sit-ups do not need special equipment or investments.
5. STAY HYDRATED: Keep a bottle of water handy and keep sipping every now and then. Stay hydrated at all times so you never feel thirsty, as thirst itself is one of the first signs of dehydration.
6. COLD SHOWERS: Challenge yourself to build resilience using cold showers early morning, every morning.
7. WALK BAREFOOT ON NATURAL GRASS/SAND: Scientific research over more than a decade indicates that your body is protected and healed – and that you feel better – when you electrically reconnect to the Earth. That is, when you are grounded.
8. REPLACE WHEAT / WHITE RICE WITH HEALTHIER MILLETS: Add healthier alternatives in the form of Nachni, Rajgira, Bajra, Jowar, Chick pea flour to prepare Chapati and boiled Rice. Use whole and unrefined produce. To make it even healthier, use sprouted millets.
9. REPLACE MILK / DAIRY PRODUCTS WITH NUT MILK: Coconut milk, Almond milk, Soy Milk or any nut-based milk and its products are much healthier choice than any animal Milk. You already know the bogey of Calcium created by the dairy mafia. Raggi/nachni, almonds, sesame should be your healthier choice for bio-available Calcium. Also, you would be doing your bit towards environment preservation and making this world more kind towards the cattle!
10. REPLACE EGG, MEAT AND ALL ANIMAL PRODUCTS WITH PLANT-BASED PREPARATIONS: With increased Health awareness, the well-read have already shifted to a plant-based, whole-food diet as against any form of meat and animal products. Are you still waiting?
11. INCLUDE MORE GREENS, SPROUTS, FRESH VEGGIES AND FRUITS: Consuming more of these food choices will keep you full and satiated, and will keep you strong, trim and healthy on a full stomach.
12. SHUN AWAY ALL REFINED / PROCESSED FOODS: Refined and processed foods are no less than a slow poison. I know you know it too, but wonder what makes you still stick to it?
13. QUIT SUGAR: Do you need me to tell you that added sugar is addictive and massively destructive for your health? Quit now!!
14. SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH KIDS AND OLD PARENTS; USE DIGITAL DETOX: No mobile during family time. Eat together, pray together and stay together!
15. CUT DOWN ON TABLE SALT: You know it!!
16. FORGIVE AND LET GO: Let go the grudges and past hurts and forgive others for your own peace.
17. DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE: Mentally list down five things that you are grateful for before you sleep tonight, every night.

Have a blessed 2021!!