Happy New Year, Oaktree family—Dr. Emilie here!

Before I dive into why I’m not a fan of resolutions, be sure to read all the way to the end of this newsletter for details on an exciting event we’ve planned.

Now, back to our New Year goals...

Each year, I organize my goals into seven specific areas that shape my decision-making and direction.

My sections are: physical, mental/emotional, social, financial, family, work, and spiritual. 

I would encourage you to do the same! I review them every month to see how I can move in the right direction for each goal.

Often, by the end of the year, I’ve reached about 75% of them! It’s never perfect, but it helps guide me. (It also helps Martin guide me… “Is that on the right path to your goals…?” which can be annoying but helpful nonetheless.)

Martin and I usually also choose a word of the year. Last year mine was “integrity.”

This year my word is “basic.” Well, it’s really “back to the basics,” but I wanted it to be just one word :)

I talk to people about health all day. We all know the basics of maintaining a baseline level of health: eat clean, be active, drink water, and take certain vitamins. Most people wouldn’t think to add “get adjusted” or “have acupuncture,” but you guys do :)

The thing is, we know these things, but do we actually do them?

Sometimes I even ask myself: What would I do if I found out I had cancer? I’d eat clean, exercise, take vitamins… etc. (I’m sure I would do more, but I’d definitely start with these!) So why don’t I do that all the time now?

Even though I work in natural health and know more than most, I still deviate.

So, “back to the basics” for me means making sure I do some baseline things in each of my goal areas.

Here are a few examples:

• Spiritual: Journaling and Bible time at least 3x/week.
  

• Exercise: Lift weights 2x/week and do at least one other activity like yoga, skiing, or running.
  (I realize this isn’t a lot, but when things get busy, exercise is the first thing I drop!) For the chiro patients out there, another health goal is to do traction at least 2x/week for maintenance. (I’ve already gone through the corrective phase of doing it much more!)
  

• Family: For my kids, I do a lot of reading with them. My goal is to do different hobbies where we can chat (painting, cross-stitch, puzzles).
  For Martin, it’s getting back to 2 date nights per month. We were really good about that for years, but we’ve fallen off. Back to the basics!
  

• Food: I’m struggling with this one, but I need to limit desserts. I generally eat very well during meals, but it’s easy for me to slip into having too many sweets.
  My “basic” plan is no more than 1 dessert during the week and 2 on weekends. I’m not sure if I’ll exclude a few dark chocolate squares from that, though!
  

Health goals also include making sure I’m more regular with vitamins: fish oil, probiotics, and vitamin D, especially.

I’m still working on 5, 6, and 7, but I wanted to share a few ideas to show how specificity is important! Your goals need action steps in order to become a reality.

Lastly, I often choose a verse that ties in with my goals and my word of the year. I recommend finding a verse, quote, or something that inspires you and helps keep you on track. This year for me, it’s Romans 7:19. A paraphrase is: “I don’t do the good I want to do, but I do the things I don’t want to do.”

I’m excited to put all this into action. No crazy, fancy goals—just getting back to the basics :)

All of us at Oaktree would love to hear some of your goals if you’d like to share them when you come in. I know I’m often so inspired by all of you!

—Dr. Emilie