I have to tell you right away. I don’t make resolutions. I haven’t in probably 2 decades. People make resolutions and set themselves up for failure. It’s an excuse not to improve. They make an absolute and once they break it, it’s over. Don’t do it – it’s a trick.
No chocolate… no smoking…. No cussing… No eating between meals…. Go to the gym every day….
There are much better ways to improve our lives each year. I find something each year that will help me create a new perspective for the next year. I change my plan a bit each year to make it more fun.
Here are a few ideas. You can try them out. Or make your own rules. It might inspire you to try your own way. Whatever you feel is best for you….
*Make a list of intentions for the next year – anything you want to do or hope to achieve. Write them down. Then seal them in an envelope or place them in a jar, and look at it next year. Or not. Sometimes I’ve found my list in the spring of the following year and wondered what I had intended for the previous year. I wasn’t concerned. I had a great year.
*Make a list of things you want to leave behind and not bring into the new year. It could be a relationship with an acquaintance you want to end, a bad habit, a way of thinking… then write it all on a piece of paper, without too much thought. Tear it up, put it in the paper shredder or burn it. If you have a fireplace it really does its magic. Do whatever has the most impact for you.
*Clear out the clutter. Get rid of things you don't need: paperwork, clothes you no longer wear, junk that's in your way... clean out the refrigerator... Whatever is taking up space is taking up space in your mind. Clearing the space make room for more of what you want.
*Do a vision board. Get a piece of poster board, some glue and some magazines. Cut out pictures of things that represent what you want in your life next year. It could be a place you want to go, or what you want to be doing. Make a collage and keep it where you’ll see it on a regular basis.
*You can also write down your goals for the next year specifically with an approximate date of when you want it to happen. Just keep in mind that the most specific you are, the closer you might be to being disappointed if you don’t meet the time line.
*Mind-mapping. Either on paper or a whiteboard, quickly write in color pens or crayons what you want in your life in one-word segments, creatively over the surface. It can be your character traits, goals, people you want to meet – whatever. Do a brainstorm and see what comes up. You can keep it where you see it, or wipe-off the whiteboard. You can take a picture of it. Do what feels right for you.
With these ideas, you might come up with some on your own. Just don’t set yourself up for failure. Make sure it inspires you. That’s the important part.
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