Worthy New Year’s Resolutions

Every year the family discusses what our New Year’s Resolutions are for the year.  I have had two standing resolutions I am ready to let go.  For the past several years I have said “Lose Weight” and “Improve My Posture”.  I really feel as though I have done a good job with my posture.  It could be my affinity for all things Downton Abbey (squeal because it’s almost on again!) influencing my new posture.  I still need to lose weight, but feel it may take more than a New Year’s Resolution to do so.

So this year I really spent some time reflecting what a worthy New Year’s Resolution should be.  I wanted something more than the proverbial list of tasks to do.

I wanted something with more meaning.

I wanted to inspire others.

I wanted to change my day to day life to be more intentional.

I wanted to make other people’s day brighter.

I want to change the world.

Who’s with me?  Are you up for changing the world in 2016 one resolution at a time?

Let’s start here.

This is my number one resolution this year.  My mother-in-law made this her resolution several years ago and I think she has changed the world with it.  Here’s how it works.  If you think something nice…say it to the person.

In Target and see someone with a great haircut?  Tell them.

In a restaurant with a family whose kids are well behaved?  Tell them how wonderful they are.

See a picture someone posted on Instagram?  Like it.  Seriously, why do we withhold our likes?  Is it laziness?  Is it spite?  Is it apathy?  None of those things are good.  If someone thought enough to post it…like it.

Your husband takes out the trash without dripping on your kitchen floor?  Compliment him on his trash taking out skills.

It’s easy.  It can change the world…for you and for the person you compliment.

How many times do we put something off we have always wanted to do?  Take a pottery class?  Skydive?  Learn to sew?  Go back to school?  Start a blog?

It’s easy to find excuse after excuse to not pursue a dream.  Not only do we short ourselves when we do this, we also short those we love.  We don’t give them the opportunity to witness someone they love obtain a goal they have always wanted.  I want my children to witness it.  That way, someday they will pursue a lifelong dream because of my example.

Change their world by changing yours.  This is the year.

Take the opportunity to put down the cell phone, turn off the TV, walk away from technology and play.  Go ride bikes.  Make a snowman.  Play a board game together.  Cook together.

I promise, the dirty laundry and dirty dishes will still be sitting there.  If I could take back all the time I cleaned the kitchen after dinner, only to have to clean it again at 10:00 the same night.  Go play.  The dishes won’t get any dirtier.

In this day of text messaging and e-mail, how nice is it to receive a letter in the mail?  Plus all the really cute stationary on Etsy would make this more fun.  Set a day to write a quick note.  Maybe Sunday night.  I think it would take less than 5 minutes.  Add that up over 52 weeks and the investment of time is only a little over 4 hours for the year.

Couldn’t this change your world?  I think the ripple effect would be of tsunami proportions.

I feel like Oprah.  Right now in my mother-in-laws kitchen…still in my p.j.’s at 11:00 I’m yelling…”you get a journal and you get a journal and you get a journal!”.  Awkward…but true.

It could be a fancy journal with a pretty pen.  It could also be the notes page on your phone.  Text it to yourself.  I like the high tech way of keeping a gratitude journal because it is easy to open up in trying times to remind us why our lives really are blessed.

I hope you ring in the New Year in style.  Remember, the things we do today set the tone for the whole new year.  Ring it in with style, grace, laughter, and those you love.

Happy New Year!

Nancy