New Year’s Resolutions! Who needs them! You decide you are going to make some change and 2 weeks later you forgot what those changes would be! I’ll be honest and say I don’t think I’ve ever kept a New Year’s resolution. That doesn’t mean I have never been successful at making big changes in my life. Once upon a time, for example, I ate a pretty standard cheesy meaty diet. I successfully gave that all up almost 4 years ago! I guess change happens when I have a good reason to make the change and not necessarily when the calendar or tradition say I should.
Still, there are always areas I can approve on and so I’ve decided to take 2016 and my improvements a month at a time. Instead of deciding on big sweeping changes I am going to focus on small goals, or rules for myself. I’m a rule follower by nature so I think this could work for me. Each month I’m going to decide on 2 new rules that I want to follow for next 30 days.
What do I mean by rules? I haven’t entirely decided yet however I’ll brainstorm a few for you:
- Make my bed every day
- Rest for 30 minutes every afternoon
- I will limit Facebook time 1 hour per day
- Read for 30 minutes every day to my children
- Take a 15 minute walk every day
- Block off one weekend on my calendar with nothing to do
- Sing loudly with my kids once a day
- Send a friendly note to a friend once a week
- Invite one family over this month for a get together
- Read for myself for 30 minutes a day
- Declutter one shelf or drawer a day
Do you get the picture? The possibilities are endless. The choices could be big or they could be small. It doesn’t matter. I like to think my rules will build on themselves. Whatever I choose for January I will continue in February and those rules will continue on into March etc.
What are my 2 rules for January? I’m going to start small as I kick this off.
- Rule 1: Drink 6 glasses of water a day (I stink at this so bad in the cold winter months)
- Rule 2: Read for myself 30 minutes a day.
There you have it! I’ll check back in with you in a couple of weeks to let you know how my small January rules are going? Care to join me? What will your 2 rules be?
I love this approach! I think my rule number 1 will have to be – read Bible every morning. It’s a habit I do well on occasion and not so well the rest of the time. Rule number 2 – take my shower within half hour of waking up. I tend to lounge around and take a while to do morning routine, then before I know it, it’s 9 or 10 o’clock and I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything, including taking a shower! Haha!