Happy New Year! 2020 is a round year to round out your list of "givens."

In order to manage my disease, I've developed a list of "givens," the things that allow me to live "companionably" with RA. This list has evolved over the years to include more self-care. I have also given myself time to incorporate it into my lifestyle. Suffice to say that I was not quite ready for some habits. Or perhaps the habits weren't ready for me!

Here are some examples of the things on my list of givens:

• Getting some form of exercise/movement each day. This could be as simple as putting on some tunes and dancing around the living room, going for a swim, doing Essentrics or venturing out for a walk. Cleaning also counts.
• Choosing foods that are nutritionally sound, even if I slip up with some of those things on my "naughty, but nice list." Ice-cream, chocolate...
• Listening to my body and learning its language.
• Making sure I get enough rest and sleep.
• Transforming my stress.
• With stress transformation comes the realization that sometimes life and RA can get in the way of bowing down to my givens. If that's the case, I pick up the list the next hour or the next day. The important thing is that I get back to it as soon as possible.

Driving in a New Direction in 2020

A new year and a new decade may be just the catalyst you need to expand your list of givens that will drive you in a new direction. If your resolution list is as lengthy as your "Dear Santa List" once was, you may wish to pare it down to make it more manageable. You want to be successful at each step along the way.

Start small. Another option is to do this Start, Stop, Continue exercise that is reflective of where you've been, whether you wish to stay there and what needs fixing/adding/augmenting.

For me, it is a better "vehicle" than that (often broken down) resolution list. This is the destination for 2020: New Year Renewal.

What things are on your "given" list for 2020?