5 critical steps to make 2016 your best year ever

This story is sponsored by the Nevada Health Link.

At the beginning of a New Year, most people make resolutions and goals to do better and achieve more. The process helps ensure a good start to the New Year with a plan and focus.

“Goal-setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality,” notes mindtools.com. “The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.”

We all need some inspiration for setting goals or making resolutions in the New Year. Whether you want to focus on your wellness, financial health or starting a new hobby, here are some suggestions for goals that can help you get off to a good start in 2016.

1. Protect your family’s health

You can protect yourself and your family against health risks by having adequate health coverage. Federal law requires everyone to have health insurance. With the Nevada Health Link’s prescreening tool, it’s simple to find out if you might qualify for subsidized health coverage. You just answer six questions about you, your family and your income and the tool provides application information for all the assistance you may qualify to receive.

You can start your year off with health coverage by attending Nevada Health Link's enrollment event Jan. 15 from 4-8 p.m. at the Henderson Convention Center at 200 S. Water Street.

If you can't make it to the event, the enrollment period continues through Jan. 31 and you can find licensed enrollment professionals statewide trained to help you sign up for coverage. Assistance is free. Simply go online at nevadahealthlink.com and enter your ZIP code in the in-person assistance tool to find a broker or agent in your area where you can connect with someone who will help you enroll.

2. Cut down on debt

To make headway on slashing your debt load, bankrate.com suggests replacing bad spending habits with good ones. You should have a strategy that includes eliminating wasteful spending and putting money into savings as well as paying down debt. Also, create a budget and stick to it to help reduce impulse spending.

3. Improve your career

Whether that means learning a news skill, returning to school or looking for a new job, no time will be better than now to start. In an article for The Huffington Post, LawPortunities CEO Tamesha Keel advised people to be strategically flexible.

“There is a tendency to doggedly adhere to a particular outcome, despite its disadvantages, and miss out on enriching opportunities that have enormous potential for professional development and satisfaction,” she reports. “Those who are strategically flexible, making the most of their opportunities on the way to obtaining their ultimate goals, will reap tremendous benefits.”

4. Eat better, lose weight

Everyone struggles with resolutions to lose weight and eat better. The key to sticking with the plan, according to fitday.com, is to discover the motivation behind your desire. “Do you want to look better in your clothes, feel more energetic, or simply improve your health? Get clear about what you want, and then use that to inspire you throughout your journey.”

5. Strengthen relationships

Good relationships are critical to happiness. Whether we are talking about relationships with a spouse, a sibling, a co-worker or a child, building a strong and satisfying connection can improve the quality of life for both parties.

Author and relationship expert Dr. Margaret Paul explains taking responsibility for themselves is the most important choice people can make in improving relationships.

“This means that you learn how to take responsibility for your own feelings and needs," she said. "This means that instead of trying to get your partner to make you feel happy and secure, you learn how to do this for yourself through your own thoughts and actions.”

By committing right now to a plan, you can make 2016 a better year for you and your family. A critical step is ensuring you have adequate health care. To start the process, go to nevadahealthlink.com to learn about available subsidies and estimated premiums.