All of us who have lived past age 25 have probably made resolutions at this time of year, at least once or twice. Some people just resolve not to make resolutions, but that too is a kind of resolution! And while everyone jokes about the fact that those resolutions do not usually stick past the second week in January, they're still important. They force us to think about what things in our life NEED to change, & what we are going to do about that. They force us to evaluate the direction we're headed & fine tune where we'd like to be going & how. They force us to admit that we are not perfect & can use a little work ourselves! Because of this, we've come up with a list that will, hopefully, make it a little easier to take a snapshot of each area of your life & rate where you're at and what you might like to improve in the next year!
- Physical Self: How are your eating habits? Your exercise patterns? Are there physical therapies that you should be doing daily that you know about, but have not been doing? How about your vitamins/minerals? There are a lot of different areas of our physical selves that can easily be put on the back burner & forgotten, but which ones will you move to the front burner & improve this year?
- Spiritual Self: Are you as giving as you'd like to be? Or forgiving? Anger and resentment can have a huge impact on our emotional & physical well-being. If there are steps you need to take to let something go, then let January 1st, 2018 be the day to do it & not look back again! Do you have people or organizations that you've been meaning to support with volunteer work or financially? Start now & don't put it off any longer. Actions speak much louder than words.
- Mental Self: Are you challenging yourself mentally? Are you learning new things and improving your skills in the areas you're interested in? Are you ensuring that you do not become stagnant mentally? Are you getting enough rest?
- Relational Self: How are your relationships? Are they blossoming under your care or withering? Are you reaching out to those you care about? It can be easy to glide along & hope everything is okay, but generally relationships need cultivation in order to be successful. Resolve to be more present in your conversations & in your actions towards those you love.
- Financial Self: How are your finances? Are there things you'd like to change? Is there debt that you need to overcome? Resolve to sit down and make an action plan for giving attention to those things that can easily be neglected throughout the rest of the year.
- Creative Self: Are you nurturing your creativity? Are you finding new outlets to create beauty & usefulness in the world you live in? If you're a painter, paint. If you're a writer, write. If you work with wood, carve. If you are a baker, bake. However you create, create. It feeds our souls & helps us to be better able to help others, too!
If you've always balked at the thought of New Year's Resolutions, we all understand. We've all been in that place where we don't want to resolve to do anything that doesn't seem as if it will be profitable for us. But all of the things listed above will have great impact on you, your life & on those around you, so... Resolve to make a resolution today! You will be happy you did!
