My exact pre-new year’s ritual varies from year to year, but always involves a period of reflection and goal-setting. Some of these New Year resolutions and intentions have become long-running habits (daily practice with a foreign language app, keeping a gratitude journal), while others died prematurely (reading a book a week, meeting up with a different person for pre-work coffee once a week). As I pondered what resolutions to make for 2025, many possibilities came to mind, including consistently strength training three days per week, writing a handwritten thank-you letter to someone once a week, and eliminating microplastics from my kitchen. None of these options, however, felt truly inspired. Although each may have had some physical and/or mental health benefits, I did not have a feeling of urgency or passion around any of them.
With the calendar rapidly closing in on January 1, I finally received the inspiration I needed while listening to a Lewis Howes podcast on goal-setting featuring psychologist and leadership expert Price Pritchett. In the interview, Price Pritchett cautioned about avoiding the “sneak attack” of the five “C’s” of negative thinking: complaining, criticizing, concern, commiserating, and catastrophizing. I felt a jolt run through my body as I listened, instantly recognizing that I had unwittingly engaged in all five of these C’s in the past year—unwittingly being the key word. According to Pritchett, 75 percent of our negative thinking is unconscious, hence the sneak attack.
In an effort to develop personally meaningful resolutions this year, I wrote down five positive “C’s” I want to focus on to replace the negative ones: consciousness, clarity, community, challenge, and creativity. Here are my intentions for each:
Consciousness is a form of awareness—awareness of our thoughts, awareness of how we are spending our time, and awareness of what words we are using before they come out of our mouths. As many times as I have heard the phrase “think before you speak,” I admit I often forget the thinking part. I often do not realize until after someone points it out (usually my husband) that what I say without intentionality often sounds critical. I commit to being conscious of where my mind and thoughts are and what I say before I say it, in an effort to eliminate the five C’s of negativity.
Clarity involves drilling down on defining (or redefining) our values, vision, and goals, making them as unambiguous as possible. Writing them on paper forces us to reflect and commit to what really matters most in our lives. Just as with a will, even if you have previously done this exercise, it is worth revisiting what you previously wrote at regular intervals and making updates as necessary. Values, vision, and goals can and do change with time. In order to engage in more conscious decision-making this year, I will create clarity around my values, vision, and goals and let these serve as my guide.
Community: Feeling a sense of community and belonging is an important component of mental and physical wellness. I am incredibly fortunate to have a wonderful community of friends, neighbors, and family who serve as my support system and personal board of advisors. My heart feels full when I think of my community and how they individually and collectively enrich my life. Inspired by how much they have given me, this year I will be more conscious about looking for ways to give back and serve my community.
Challenge: This year, I will challenge my body and mind in new ways. As a runner, it is very easy to keep making small modifications of the same goal, like shaving a set amount of time off a certain distance or competing in a new distance. While I have already committed to a few road races for 2025, including the Berlin Marathon in September, I also want to challenge my body—and mind—in new ways. Maybe this will be the year I finally take adult swim lessons so I can compete in an open-water triathlon or take up pickleball. Or maybe this will be the year I get over my fear of heights and conquer a wall at a rock-climbing gym—a true mental and physical challenge! Or maybe I will swap out a road race for a trail race. Whatever I try next, I am excited to learn something new about what my mind and body are capable of.
Creativity: With so many non-negotiables in my daily life (exercise, work, attending my children’s sporting events), there is often little time left for creative activities. While it is easy to consider spending time on creative endeavors as non-essential, these activities nourish our souls just as fruits and vegetables nourish our bodies. The reality is I will never have time for creative endeavors unless I consciously make the time for them, which means blocking off regular time on my calendar to create or appreciate what others have created by attending a concert or a gallery walk.
As physicians, we are all busy, and there are periods in our lives where we feel like we can’t take on one more thing. Even when we are short on time, however, we can work on our mindsets. While I still plan on doing more strength training, writing more letters, and reducing the amount of microplastics in my kitchen, I know the most impactful changes I can make start with consciousness.
Amy Baruch is a pathologist.
