Do you make resolutions for the new year? Are they always the same-get healthier, go to the gym, lose weight, save more? I find the review of the year and setting of goals for the next to be very helpful. I try to set at least one goal in different areas, which I then break down into more manageable chunks over the course of the year. I try to have goals for physical, spiritual, and mental health, financial goals, and relationship goals.
I need my resolutions to be very specific. They may carry over for a number of years until they become habits or they may last only a month or two. For example, I read uplifting material every morning when I get up. It took many years to get this established as a habit. Now, I find I need it to start my day right, so, while it is no longer a separate resolution, it is part of my standard routine. I have increased this reading to about thirty minutes each morning.
One year, I made a resolution to stop piling stuff up on the bathroom counter. I am a clutterer and it was just too easy to make piles of things on the counter. That year, I managed to break that habit. Although I still make little piles, I also put them away more quickly than I used to. I no longer focus on that goal, but it does stay at the back of my mind. I set other goals about the house to try to give at least a little order to my day.
A few years ago, rather than eat better, I set a goal to eat more real food. I have always cooked most of the food, but now, even less comes from any kind of package. Most of the produce is fresh with just a little frozen. This change has meant that I spend less money for food and more time to prepare it. It is fresher and healthier. We occasionally try something different, like Hello Fresh, and enjoy the challenge of something different. However, hubby is not terribly fond of exotic flavors, so that is an occasional treat.
When I quit working at the dance studio, I recognized that I required a regular workout routine in order to feel good. Over the years, I have also realized that this helps me to maintain my mental health as well. What the routine is changes, but trying to work out at least 5 days each week does not.
My current workout goals are: MWF-weights followed by dance, yoga, and pilates routines; TTS-full body workout routines also followed by dance, yoga, and pilates routines. These all work on strength, cardio, and flexibility. As a result, in many ways, I am stronger and more flexible than twenty years ago.
I do not wait until January 1 to make a change or set a goal. During the course of the year, if I see an area where I would like to make a change, I try to work on it. However, as the year changes over, I find it helpful to assess my progress and which resolutions should continue, which need some tweaking, and which need to be discarded.
I find the process of self-assessment and review very helpful. If I am honest with myself, I can see where I have made progress, where I need to focus, and can move forward in an optimistic frame of mind. As a result, the years only keep getting better. May 2016 be your best year yet.
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