Be Well. Live Well. Put Holistic Wellbeing at the Top of Your Career and Life Plan.

I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. They can feel so finite, almost trivial at times. (But one size does not fit all, so if resolutions are working for you, keep going. You got this!) The older I get, the more I realize just how essential it is to maintain an ongoing focus on holistic wellbeing as part of an overall life and leadership learning journey.

Instead of making a list of resolutions every January, I re-visit my life and leadership plan, paying special attention to five critical elements of wellbeing: physical, mental, financial, spiritual, and social (our relationships and community involvement). I schedule quarterly check-ins with myself to determine where I’m doing well and where I need a little help.

Taking care of ourselves serves everyone. It’s our inherent right to be well. And it's essential to being our best at work, at home and in our community.?As part of your life and leadership learning journey, you likely have an Individual Development Plan of some sort. January is a great time to make sure that your plan includes self-care and wellness routines, in whatever way works for you.

I have learned this at Target, where total wellbeing has been an essential component of our culture for years. To be the best versions of ourselves, at work and in life, we must invest in ourselves as human beings. As I often say, self-care isn’t selfish. It’s essential.?Each of us is given a short, precious moment on this earth. We all get one shot at a life well-lived. Balancing all aspects of wellbeing, while navigating the highs and lows in our life and career, is the key to that well-lived life.

I’m currently managing through one of the lows. Just before Christmas, my father passed. He died just a few weeks after my family gathered to celebrate my parents’ 60th?wedding anniversary. While I am grieving, I am finding some comfort knowing his weary mind, body and spirit are at rest - and that his lessons and blessings live on in my siblings, me, and others he touched throughout his life.

One of my father’s many lessons was to be resilient and keep going, no matter what life throws at you. He had day jobs, night jobs, side hustles – he never slowed down in his pursuit to make a better life for my siblings and me. He certainly didn’t have a holistic wellbeing plan, and I regret that he didn’t have more time in his life to rest.

He mattered. I matter. You matter. For several years, my siblings and I have been trying to address the needs of my aging parents, and we are now grieving the loss of a parent and honoring the new chapter in our mother’s life and our own lives. If you’re caring for someone, remember that your needs are just as important as the loved ones you care for. You are at your best when you’re practicing consistent self-care and wellness routines.

So this January, like others before it, as a birthday present to myself, I will have my annual physical and mammogram. These important appointments set the tone for my ongoing commitment to physical wellbeing throughout the year – and lay the foundation for mental,??financial, spiritual and social wellbeing as well.

Wherever you are in your life and leadership learning journey, keep going. You deserve to be well and live well.