Here's To 2020 And Making Healthier Choices

Written By: Bianca T.

As we ring in the beginning of a new year, one thing always rings true for me. It’s easy to make New Years Resolutions. It’s much harder to stick to them. As January ebbs away, I forget my promises to myself to practice clean eating, drink more water, spend less money, and exercise daily. Instead, I fall back into old habits. And I’m not the only one. In fact, only about 10% of people who make New Year’s Resolutions successfully implement lasting change. The other 90% fail.

This year, I decided to abandon the idea of New Years Resolutions and instead, concentrate on one big idea: making healthier choices. Instead of getting bogged down in laundry lists of habits I need to change and goals I need to achieve, I’ve decided to start off this new decade with only simple rule to keep in mind: if it makes me feel better in my body, mind or spirit, I’ll do it! I’m happy to report that one week into 2020, I’m still on track with my commitment.

I started small on the first day of the year. Because the weather was mild and the sun was shining, I packed a pair of sneakers and a bagged lunch into my IAMRUNBOX Backpack Pro and took it to work with me. When my lunch hour came, instead of turning away from my computer for a quick 20 minutes to gobble down a bag of chips and a soda, I stepped outside for a brisk walk around the block and ate a sandwich on a park bench. Not only did I feel like I had made a positive change on my very first day, this small bit of refreshing exercise stopped me from falling into my usual after-lunch midday slump. I already felt like my new year was off to a positive start!

This small but important change in activity has continued throughout my entire first week of the new year. My daytime walks and healthy lunch time meals have left me feeling invigorated and more energetic, and the energy boost has even given me more strength and stamina in my gym routine. I’m glad that I didn’t make “healthier lunches” a New Years Resolution, because I’m sure feeling that obligation to a resolution would have made me give up in the first week. The open-ended idea of simply making a healthier choice has given me confidence and has allowed me to find joy in a new routine I hadn’t even planned on.

If you’re also someone who has already given up on their New Years Resolutions, or is just looking for a new activity to make your days healthier and more enjoyable, this may the approach for you. Thankfully, there a lot of tools out there to make incorporating a healthier choice into your daily routine easy and fun. For me, the IAMRUNBOX Backpack Pro was the thing that cemented my new lunch time routine. Having a sleek backpack I could take to work with me on my daily commute made packing my sneakers, my lunch, and my laptop into one place simple and easy. It’s lightweight, so carrying it didn’t feel like a burden. And because it’s roomy and compartmentalized, I’ve even started packing my after-work gym clothes into it, without worrying about them becoming dirty and wrinkled. The materials are sturdy, so I can toss into my backseat and under my desk without worrying about anything inside becoming damaged.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do in this new year! If you are also someone who is embarking on a journey of health and happiness, remember that finding one small but significant change may be the thing that propels you through a whole 365 days of healthy living.