This Year, I Will . . .

Personally, I'm not very big on New Year's resolutions.  I like to think that at any time of the year you can decide to make changes and move your life in a new direction.  I would never discourage anyone from choosing to better themselves, however, so I hope to give some insight into making worthwhile resolutions and making them stick.

 

 

It's tempting to look ahead to the new year and proclaim that it will be your best year yet.  Of course we all know that when someone does this in the movies, something always blow ups behind them two seconds later and things get really bad really fast.  Instead of wishing for a future in which yourself and your circumstances are entirely different, try to make changes within the boundaries of what you already have.  Don't attempt to begin an extensive bedtime routine if you can barely stay awake just to change into your pajamas on a normal night.  Use who you are and what you are capable of as a starting point for making changes.

 

You should be planning in the mindset of small steps towards goals instead of giant leaps toward instant results.  Most people abandon their New Year's resolutions within a couple weeks of beginning them.  Often people have made unrealistic attempts at changing things and burn themselves out very quickly.  Do things a little at a time.  Be more specific in your resolution making and break it up into smaller pieces.  Vague ideas like cleaning the house out or losing weight usually won't get you anywhere near your goals.  Figuring out what needs to be done around the house and making a realistic schedule to complete everything or slowly working your way into new eating and exercising habits will have much better results.

 

Also, make sure that you take the time to reevaluate your goals and see if you are continuing to take the right steps toward making them a reality.  We so often get immersed in our lives that we start to let things slide and then we find ourselves back at the beginning of our plans again.  Once a week, every other week, or once a month, take a good look at what you were hoping to accomplish and see if what you are doing is lining up with getting you there.  Make needed changes and don't be afraid to drop something completely if it just not working or not what you had in mind.

 

Remember that you are making resolutions for your new year, so spread things out into the next year in a way that is not as overwhelming as launching head first come January 1st.  And always keep in mind that any date is just as good as the first day of the year for beginning something new or making a change.  With that all said, I do hope you have your best year yet (despite the Hollywood warnings against such proclaimations).