The Heart Beat

 Like many of you, I spent the better part of this week helping to get my kids ready for school.  New backpacks, shoes, and strategies for healthy lunches gave way to excitement and maybe even some nerves as we walked each of our little boys into their classrooms, reconnected with friends, and introduced ourselves to their teachers.  Was it as nostalgic for you as it was for me?

I’ve always loved the first day of school.  There’s something about the smell of the late summer air in the early morning… a fresh backpack… an unopened textbook — they signify new beginnings.  And despite all the fun we have during our less-structured summers, it’s always amazing how inspired we are by the first day of school.

Every first day presents a unique opportunity to reinvent, a possibility of rediscovery, and the challenge of genuinely new goals to set and maybe even achieve.  Even the most jaded kid can be inspired by a new beginning — by a first day.

So how can you recapture that nostalgia today, in a world where your job never really took a summer vacation, and you’ve been wearing the same old shoes for the past few years?  Is it possible to reinvent and rediscover?

I think so.  The key is finding those new goals to set… and maybe even achieve.  As the kids in your neighborhood start coming home with backpacks filled with books and art projects, maybe it’s time for all of us to invest in some self-starting by trying something new and getting creative about accomplishing some health goals in this new year.  

Find your starting line by seeing your doctor.  Buy a scale, and use it.  Keep a food diary for just a week, and be amazed at how an examined life is truly a healthier life.  

Assign yourself some homework, dig in, and please share your experiences with the rest of the WebMD Community.  We won’t be keeping score.