Written by: Cyndi Jones
Whew! New Year’s Day has recently passed - Christmas break flew by in a blur! Did you make a New Year’s resolution? Did you choose something big, great, something grand?? Hmm... I didn’t. What? Shocking!
For years I made New Year’s resolutions only to give up and fail. I would set monumental goals and then felt pressure and stress because either it seemed insurmountable or I bit off more than I could chew! Then I felt like a failure, which led to a downward spiral of my good intentions. Has that ever happened to you?
About 10 years ago, I made a resolution to stop making grand resolutions! Instead, I set a few small goals or commitments for ME! I choose things that will help me feel better about myself, my physical health, my mental health. I commit to reading, just for fun. I commit to eating one (I know it doesn’t sound like much, but baby steps) really healthy dinner a week. I commit to giving myself a pedicure once a month (yes, I do it myself). These are just some examples of things I’ve promised I’d do for myself over the years. Try thinking of some resolutions that would make you truly happy and help you feel better. People, 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year! You deserve some time to recover!
Here are a few simple ideas:
Exercise more (we have a My Family Matters Family Fitness video that is a 9-minute work-out, you can find it on our website page)
Get organized (decluttering the house also helps declutter the mind)
Learn a new hobby or skill, i.e.watching documentaries, gardening, drawing, coloring, board games
Spend more time with family and friends, but only if they bring you happiness and enjoyment, remember - this is to help your mental health and happiness
We often have lofty goals but when we don’t accomplish a big goal we feel guilty, let down, sad, or even depressed. Let’s not do that to ourselves. Think about two things you would like to see change this year - and let’s get to work!
Break it down into bite-size morsels -- Don’t say you want to lose 50 pounds. You may want to, but that’s a big number. Break it down to something you can chew on - how about 10 pounds? That will be a start to getting healthy. If you reach that, you can start over. 10 pounds is less than a pound a month, which is totally doable. A resolution should not cause you stress!
Here are some tips on HOW to make sure you follow through on a few of your new commitments:
Pick more than one but limit your resolutions (remember, keep it simple),
Write it down, my preference is an index card.
Read them every day (I suggest putting the card next to your bed, on the bathroom counter, or on your refrigerator).
Start with small steps.
Remember, change is a process, go easy on yourself.
When you reach a goal, give yourself a small reward, you deserve it!
Have fun!
Simply put, a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” So be resolute in your decision to do something good for yourself.
