Happy New Year! Resolutions v. Themes

Since I like to achieve my goals(!), I have ditched the New Year’s Resolution exercise!  In instead, I create a THEME for my year.  Instead of being distracted, and then demoralized by giving up on many little goals (lose weight, more exercise, etc.) , I incorporate a new theme (thought or habit) into my being by practicing it for 365 days.  This allows me to make permanent changes in my life.

Three examples of previous themes are: 

Realize there are always more than two options when making a decision.  I used to drive myself crazy with all or nothing, black or white, yes or no, etc.  Recognizing that there is a middle ground has empowered me, decreased my stress level , and vastly improved my negotiation skills.

Be ten minutes early for everything!  Talk about finding time, this hack is amazing!  (And, OK, now that we work from home/Zoom so much, 5 minutes may be sufficient.)  That extra buffer allows me to show up calm and unfrazzled, I have time to get centered and focused on my next thing, there is a built in window for when things go wrong, etc.

Life is 10% what happens, and 90% how we react – and we are in charge of our attitudes. (Charles Swindell) Fortunately, reactions are just an outcome of what we think about something.  Therefore, when we change our thoughts, we get to choose how or if we react to something.

Hope this blog makes you think a bit – even if you are not ready to give up making resolutions.  Happy New Year!