CMO Message: New Beginnings for 2024

Welcome to the New Year! After all the indulgent holiday festivities, January brings an air of freshness and opportunity. You have an entire 12 months (plus February 29th) to shape this year to be whatever you want it to be. No matter what happened in 2023, 2024 is a new beginning. As the saying goes…New Year, New You.

But what is the “You” you want to create? New Year’s resolutions often focus on the “You” that others can observe such as your body weight, how you dress and accessorize yourself, and new hobbies. These resolutions tend to center on actions - I will travel to 3 different countries, I will walk 10,000 steps a day, I will make more time for self-care. When these outward-facing goals and actions don’t stick, it’s natural to feel defeated. By the time December rolls around, you realize that you are just the same old “You”...again.

Instead of focusing on what you are going to do in the New Year, try focusing on the person you want to be. What is the identity of your new “You”? Perhaps that identity is someone who is healthy, emotionally strong, more social, or productive. Personal identities such as being a good parent or CrossFit enthusiast are much more steadfast than a set of arbitrary goals and inform everyday decisions about what you do and how you act. As a parent, you don’t hem and haw about whether you should pick up your child from school. You just do it. Similarly, if you decide that you want to be a healthy person, getting your annual physical is non-negotiable. It’s just part of what you do to be healthy. By focusing on embodying the identity you choose, you might find that the new “You” is just plain you by next December.

From all of us at UnitedAg, we wish you a happy, healthy, and abundant New Year! January is a great time to reassess your health and get help to become the healthiest version of yourself. Our wide range of resources from 1:1 health coaching through our Health & Wellness Clinics, Livongo for diabetes, and expanded mental health services are available to support you. Call Member Services today and we'll get you to all the care you need.