January is here, the first month of a new year is a great place to reset your health and budget goals. Whew! Goodbye 2022, What a year! A beautiful year with many things to be grateful for. A wonderful year of great experiences and a comforting year with friends and family. It’s good to reflect on all that God has done for us, the blessings and the times of overcoming. Happy New Year! Have you started your reset? Perhaps you’re still lying on the couch relaxing and exhausted?

For many the end of every year barges in, not un-expectantly, but still, with a bang. People tend to celebrate with food, food and more food. By the time the first day of the new year rolls around, they come down with a heavy crash from the feasting frenzies, bold emphasis on the heavy.

January is usually considered a reset month, it definitely is for me. Every year I try to prepare by having a watchful eye on what and how much food I’m taking in and how much money I'm putting out. I ‘guard’ myself from the carb, work and spending onslaught and every year it’s an uphill struggle. The preparation and the boundaries help somewhat, but I am still very much in need of January's start over chance. 

There are several areas of resets that are needed, these are mine, all are woven together in my life.

Always at the top of my restart is my health. While the end of the year was a wonderful time, it usually pushes me up in weight. I’m getting back on track and practicing moderation, cutting back the carbs and getting back to consistent exercise. In order for those extra pounds to come off I must be intentional. I’ll be honest, while extreme diets do work to take off the excess weight quickly, in the end, when I stop the extremity, those pounds come right back on! I must keep things real and slow, cutting down and moderation have worked well for me after the holidays. This way, even through the non holidays I can keep an occasional delicious Texas style tamale in my reasonable diet.

While Christmas shopping was a blast, things did spill over or run out in the different envelopes of my budget. As I’m looking over the month of January and months to come in this new year,   I have to tidy up my budget/pocket book and get it back in good order, a reset will be helpful in finances also. Of course I’ll strategize to keep a stock of authentic tamales in my freezer for the hurried days or the days I need to take it easy in the kitchen.

Time To Reset

New beginnings are always refreshing, especially after the busy holiday season. While it’s early in the year, now that you’re organized, be intentional about those long term projects. Rest is always good for your health, so please, keep your eyes on the map and on your budget for your dream vacation in 2023.  

J