YARMOUTH, Maine — The new year always brings the urge for a restart. Maybe there are goals you want to achieve in 2022, or even tasks you've spent years thinking about but just haven't gotten around to doing. Dr. Allyson Coffin is a chiropractor in Yarmouth and looks at health as a whole, running an online meditation group designed around moms.
Coffin said if you really want to get things done this year, it's time to train your brain. There are three simple ways to start that training:
1. Journal
"Journaling practice is not something you have to do every day for an hour. It’s something where you write down what went on in your day and the things in your mind," Coffin said. "If you just do journaling practice 20 minutes a day for three days a week—you don’t have to do it every single day—the statistics say you will increase the probability of accomplishing your goals by 76%."
A 76% increase is a big deal just from writing down what's in your mind. Why does that practice work? Well, most of us learn by doing.
"You’re using your brain and your muscles to write it down and that creates more of a connection pattern in your brain," Coffin said.
2. Practice gratitude
"Write down three things you are grateful for as soon as you wake up in the morning," Coffin said.
Your list of gratitude can be as simple as being grateful for heat in your home, or tea in your cup. The more you practice gratitude, the longer your list will get. While it's a great way to start the day, it also sparks a chemical change in your brain.
"You see the good in things instead of seeing the negative, and that makes life way easier," Coffin explained. "You’re way more likely to accomplish your goals when you're living in a positive mindset as opposed to a negative mindset. It really changes your brain."
3. Write out your goals
"This one is imperative if you actually want to accomplish some goals," Coffin said. "You are going to have to write them down. Whatever that goal is, if you write it down you, are more likely to do it instead of having it be a fleeting thought."
If you want to kick off the new year with high hopes, write down a list of your goals before you even start your journaling. If your goals adjust, write those down, too. If you're someone who needs a regular reminder, write your goal on a Post-It note and stick it to your mirror so that you look at it daily.
"We have a picture chart where we write down the kids' goals and mine and my husband's goals," Coffin said. "We did it one time, and I stuck it to the bathroom wall, and we have accomplished every goal except for going surfing."