Monday Campaign: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination

It’s March! See you later, Cupid; hello, shamrocks! As we move into the third month of 2024, NOVA’s Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing (OEWW) and the Monday Campaigns encourage us to take a quick look back and reset our intentions to move forward on our health journey. The first quarter of the calendar year sees many of us focusing on setting annual goals. These goal statements tie directly to destinations: where and how we see ourselves after checking off all the checklist items. Unfortunately, by this point of the year (fewer than 10 of our 52 weeks; almost 20% of the year), a number of us have already become disillusioned. It may feel like yet another year is passing by and we still haven’t reached our destination.

It’s the journey, not the destination.
The article Your Health Is A Journey, Not A Destination states, “…weight loss, getting fitter, or simply just feeling better, shouldn’t be the only goals of your [our] health resolutions but rather the side effects of living well.” Living well is a process that occurs in those day-to-day/moment-to-moment behaviors that will either positively or negatively impact where we wind up.  Those behaviors or small actions can significantly impact various aspects of our lives, from health and productivity to personal development and relationships. By focusing on them and embracing the science of habit formation, we can create lasting changes that lead to big transformations.

We have big plans, so let’s get going with our first small, manageable step.  
Begin right here. Revisit our earlier conversations on steps to improve, maintain, or alter chosen wellness habits.  These steps, which focus on the relationship between goals and habits, are evidence-based and support turning chosen behaviors into more easily sustainable habits. 

Level Up

• Consider reading “Habits 101: The Neuroscience Behind Routine,” which states, “Habits form when conscious choices are slowly integrated and reinforced across brain circuits over time. By repeating these actions over and over and over again, they become automatic — until one day, you don’t have to remember to brush your teeth when you get up. You just do it. It’s a habit.”
• Watch the TED Talk Journey vs. Destination: How to Stay Present to learn little things we can do every day to cultivate a little more presence. Highlights:
  1. Slow down, on purpose: Read this article for more than two dozen tips on how to slow down.
  2. Recognize that we’re living the good ol’ days, right now: Learn from the past, but don’t get stuck in it; that may be derailing. Let’s keep our eyes and hearts focused on the path in front of us. Don’t miss today’s good by constantly looking backward and longing for what has passed. Use your energy to address the right now.
  3. Pack light. Each step of the journey will change us. For us to adapt to that change, we need to pack light — meaning we can’t take everything with us on every journey. Stay present and be aware of what each step of the journey requires.

We’ve got this!

Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes. The key to health-related behavior change is to create sustainable healthy habits.  Remember, use the Monday Check-In to help bolster your wellness efforts. Each week, take what you need and leave what you don’t!

Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer, Employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu