New Years Resolutions From a Medical Fellow

As 2013 winds down and 2014 peaks over the horizon it seems to be a natural time for reflection. I don’t know what it is about the holidays culminating in a midnight celebration that drive the New Year’s Resolution cliché—maybe it is the additional pounds weighing you down from all the delicious food or the slow in clinical responsibilities around this time of year—but you can’t help but want to take some time, reflect, and become resolute about accomplishing new things and adopting new habits. According to USA.gov, Americans commonly resolve every January to:

• Lose weight
• Manage debt/save money
• Get a better job
• Get fit
• Eat right
• Get a better education
• Drink less alcohol
• Quit smoking
• Reduce stress overall and/or at work

These are all noble goals and I know I have resolved on more than one occasion to do several of the above. The interesting thing about these, and many other resolutions, is that they focus on taking things away from you or place emphasis on bad habits that we want to cut out of our lives. In addition, we often come up with a long list of resolutions that are impossible to accomplish when taken all together and this results in a quick abandonment of nearly all of them by February (or sooner).

So this year, I am going to challenge myself to one professional and one personal resolution. These resolutions will focus on adding a positive habit to my everyday routine—something small that I can check in with every day.

As you look back on 2013 and toward 2014, I hope that you to will be thoughtful about what you would like this year to bring and settle on a single professional and personal resolution to meet you where you are. Happy New Year to all!

 

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All of the opinions expressed here are the author’s and his alone, and do not represent necessarily those of Kaplan or its employees.

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