A NEW Resolution

It has long been my practice to *not* make any New Year’s resolutions.  I have found that I only disappoint myself and feel guilty if I can’t keep up with some lofty goal I set for myself during the holidays.  Whether it’s losing weight, getting more organized, or “getting in shape,” it seems that most of us start out with good intentions but don’t really have a clear plan on *how* to get to our goal, or what our actual goal is.  Not only that but, if we do manage to set our sights on a clear goal, it’s often too far in the future or at least unrealistic to attain in the short term.  So we forget.  We veer off the path.  We get sidetracked.  We get frustrated and discouraged.  And the next thing we know, it’s December again and we’re starting all over with the resolutions.

So my favorite thing is this:  a New Day’s Resolution.  Each day, I set a personal goal that can be accomplished that *same day*.  Every day is, indeed, a new opportunity to do something good for yourself and for others.  If you live in the moment, or at least in the day, you might stop punishing yourself for something you did or didn’t do yesterday or last week.  You will free up your mind to do something awesome *today.*  Today is all that matters.  If you keep doing something awesome each day, pretty soon you’ll develop a good habit.  A habit of happiness, or of exercise, or of enjoying nature, or of eating yummy fresh food.  Not only that, but you’ll start realizing how much power you have to take action and make a change.  Take small steps every day, and then reassess every quarter.  Come March 1st, look back over your past three months and I bet you’ll see progress and be that much closer to what you want, or at least to finding what you want and feeling good about yourself.

Here are some examples of small goals. 

1. Eat 2 pieces of fruit
2. Eat 1 salad
3. Take the stairs instead of the elevator all day today
4. Drink 1 extra glass of water
5. Go to bed 30 minutes earlier
6. Call a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in a while
7. Turn off the TV and read 1 chapter of a good book
8. Sign up for a Pilates class and commit to getting there.
9. Stop what you’re doing for 5 minutes and just notice your surroundings.  Do you like what you see?  If not, go outside or somewhere more pleasant and spend 5 minutes there instead.

Set a goal that feels good to you and that seems like it would make you feel good about yourself.  Maybe it pertains to an overall larger goal that you had on your mind at New Year’s.  Keep it simple, and keep it possible! 

As the saying goes, “every day is the first day of the rest of your life.”   Start the rest of your life off right.  You can do it!