Be Curious, Be Well: 4 Questions to Better Your Wellbeing This Year

The “new year, new you” mindset usually only rings true for the first few weeks of January before our often well-intended resolutions are pushed aside for the all too familiar. We need to dig deeper into what will work for our personal wellbeing. So, what questions can we ask to help us actually end the year a little healthier, a little happier, and a little better?

Here are four must-ask questions to kickstart your wellness journey:

#1. Are you canceling the benefits of your workout routine by sitting too much?

With every new year, millions of people set new fitness goals. My favorite ones aren't necessarily about losing weight; they're about bringing more movement into your day. Movement is one of our greatest gifts. Meanwhile, modern life keeps us glued to our chairs and encourages us to "have a seat." 
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In a study of almost 4000 people, researchers found that the harmful effects of prolonged sitting undermine the benefits of exercise. As the Washington Post summarized, "If we exercise but also sit for the rest of the day, it's almost as if we had not worked out at all." The same study found that those who got up and moved around more often during the day were substantially healthier. 

Practical Tip: Add micro-movement moments into your day. That means stretching between meetings, standing during calls, or taking a quick walk outside. Small, consistent bursts of activity add up, impacting your wellbeing far more than sitting all day until your one-hour workout. 

Want to know your movement archetype? Take the quiz here.

#2. What actions are you taking to rewrite your financial narrative?

January is Financial Wellness Month, and according to Fidelity, about 65% of Americans are considering money-related resolutions this year. Financial wellbeing is often overlooked but is deeply tied to mental and emotional health. 

In a 2024 survey from the Motley Fool, over half of respondents reported being stressed or anxious about finances three or more days a week. From the same survey, 37% said they have avoided looking at their bank account or bills because of financial anxiety. 

Years ago, in my twenties, when I was living in New York and pursuing a career as a dancer, some days I didn’t have enough money to buy a movie ticket. It was a fun and exciting time, yes, but the financial uncertainty was stressful.

In my conversation with my dear friend Peter Frampton, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Wealthvox, he pointed out that becoming financially conscious is a first step towards financial wellbeing. He noted, “One of the biggest reasons money is out of sorts is because people don’t know what the situation is.” 

Money is so personal, but Peter asserts that our identities don’t need to be tied to our financial stories. We are already on our way to more peace when we accept how much we have and what we might owe.  

Practical Tip: Start using resources like a simple financial wellness app or tracker to monitor spending habits. Although we may be tempted to avoid the unknown, knowing exact numbers will actually ease anxiety. 

#3. Are you making your goals achievable?

One of my resolutions this year is to write in my journal every day. It’s the 3rd week of January; by now, maybe I’ve written in it only five times! How many of us have similar resolution stories year after year? 

In this month’s LinkedIn Live conversation, I met with behavioral economics expert Dan Ariely to talk about how to work with our humanness to create habits that better our wellbeing. Despite our good intentions, we need to shift our resolutions from being outcome-based goals (i.e., “I’m going to lose weight) to behavior-based goals that are short and achievable (i.e., “I’m going to go for a 10-minute walk in the morning”). Weaving our new habits into our existing routines can also reduce friction, leading to a higher chance of sticking. 

Practical Tip: Identify opportunities in your daily routine where you can incorporate better wellness, and set an alarm, notification, or sticky note down as a reminder. What can you use as a trigger? 

​#4. How are you nurturing friendships at work?

While we spend so much time at work, our friends are usually outside of work. The social interactions that fill our cups are set aside for the weekends or after the work day is done. However, having strong workplace friendships has a huge benefit. Gallup research shows that having a close friend at work boosts engagement, productivity, and overall wellbeing. Yet, in a time when the workplace itself is becoming more isolating through remote and hybrid work, our social needs aren’t being met. Just last year, 1 in 5 employees worldwide reported experiencing profound feelings of loneliness, with fully remote employees reporting significantly higher levels than hybrid and on-site employees.

Maybe the idea of loneliness isn’t a big deal. Friendships, however, can have a far-reaching positive effect on health; a study of almost 13,000 people over the age of 50 found that those who had high-quality friendships lived longer. 

Relationships that bring us joy and meaning are critical to wellbeing. They can turn the daily grind into something meaningful and make you feel psychologically safe, knowing that someone has your back. 

Practical Tip: Create a ‘Wellness Buddy System’ at work—pair up with someone to share wellness goals. Wellness is better when it’s shared. Who’s your workplace wellness buddy?

It’s time to rethink wellbeing and make it more attainable.

This year, move more, ease financial stress, build sticky habits, and lean into friendships. Wellness isn’t about grand gestures or hard-to-reach goals; it’s about consistent, small actions. Which of these four questions can you dive into so you can become your best?

Got 30-minutes? Take the ME AT MY BEST®​ course here.  ​

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Laura Putnam

​​Laura Putnam is a leading catalyst for wellbeing at work, an international public speaker, and author of Workplace Wellness That Works. As CEO of Motion Infusion and creator of the leadership training program Managers on the Move, she infuses wellbeing into the workplace to help employees, teams and organizations thrive. You can follow her on X @MotionInfusion.